Mass Effect 3: A Different War
by The Emerald Commander
Summary: The Reapers have arrived. Commander Shepard, after his long arrest on Earth, has been set free to try to make up for lost time. However, as he deals with the mess left by incompetent governments and allies, he will face a new more powerful Cerberus as he tries to forge new alliances. Friendships will be tested and choices will be made in a much different war than in the game.
1. Part I - Chapter 1: Arrival

**Mass Effect 3: A Different War**

 **Part I**

 **Chapter I: Arrival**

Commander Jonathan Shepard glared at the world outside, his dark eyes piercing into the horizon – like a void gazing into the world - lost in thought. His muscular body leant over the window in front, the only means of connecting to the realm beyond his confinement, stiff and sore with the recent training. A mere thin glass was the only thing standing between him and the blue skies, the fresh air and freedom. He was annoyed and irritable, but beyond that… he was hopelessly frustrated. A sense of impending doom and solace kept him awake at night and he suffered the solitude he had to endure.

The waiting was the worst part. No matter how much he distracted himself by staying in shape, he knew he was supposed to be out there, coordinating the armies and species for the arrival of the Reapers. And yet there he was, stuck on Earth, a prisoner in his home-world… maybe it was the fact he was kind of living on solid ground, in a planet, that unnerved him the most. He had been a spacer all his life – through and through – and was unused to prolonged periods of time stuck with a distant horizon.

No, if Shepard was true to himself, he was mostly annoyed and frustrated by the fact he had been disconnected from the world outside, not the city of Vancouver, but the rest of the Galaxy. He was, much to his own agonizing pain, cut off from the woman he loved. If he was going to sit down and wait for the Reapers to come, at least he wanted to do so after seeing her face one last time if he could. Would she even be waiting for him to return?

Nine months… nine months since he had been forced away from her and from his own ship, the Normandy. Eleven months since he had gone through the Omega 4 Relay and captured the Collector Base, the key to the Reaper's defeat. Did he regret handing it over to the Illusive Man? Of course he did, the man was dangerous. But there was no other choice. Shepard, and the Illusive Man, knew that their time was limited and the Collector base could have vital information to fight the Reapers when they came.

Shepard sighed, grumpily turning away. He closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose. The bloody Alliance and its Bureaucracy would be the end of humanity. How much he wished he hadn't been a self-righteous moron and avoided returning to Earth. It had been a mistake. He should have known better than hand himself over to the Alliance. Yes, he had destroyed a Relay in hopes of delaying the Reapers further, but everyone was none the wiser! After all, what evidence did the Batarians have that he, Shepard, had done it? An entire solar system had been destroyed along the Relay.

Shepard knew better. He grimaced as he went over to sit on his bed, facing the window. No, it wasn't Shepard the Batarians were blaming. It was the Alliance. They had caught Kenson and some of her men and they had given away that they were part of the Alliance, a covert-ops of sorts. It was hard not to, given how keen Batarians were to torture. Thus, what did the Alliance do? Point a finger to Cerberus and - who would you guess? - Shepard.

And that was when the sirens sounded. Shepard blinked, snapping his head at the locked door behind him. What was going on? He stood up, and tried to open the door. Confused, he looked around. An emergency? What could be happening? A fire? Shepard turned around, towards the window, only to freeze, fear pouring into his veins.

Across the glass, in the city beyond, a large shadow descended over the skyscrapers. It was like the daggers of the darkest evils descended upon Earth, arms spread to ravage the land. Like a monstrous nightmare, it landed as rays of red death swept below. The skies darkened, and another one of those things showed up. Burning comets started raining down on Earth, and a dark night descended upon humanity. They had arrived.

Shepard turned to the door, the desperate need to run beating in his heart. "Oy! Is anybody there?!" He cried out, punching the unmoving door. "Hey! Rivera? Li?" He called for his guards outside. "Is there som-"

Whatever he was going to say next died down on his throat as the entire building trembled and the air shook with the deafening thunder of a massive laser slicing the place in half. Shepard flew backwards as a shockwave caught him by surprise. His world froze as his mind caught up with the fact his feet was no longer touching the ground, only to slam with his back against the wall beneath the window to his room.

Shepard muttered, gritting his teeth, as he tried to stand up again. His face was burning as most of his muscles, but nothing appeared broken… at least with him. Had he been anyone else, he might have not been so lucky. As it was, he was thankful he came unscathed. His room… not so much. The door had been blown apart while the window had been shattered. Everything else had been toppled over by the shockwave.

"Damn it" Shepard hissed, standing up. He didn't stall. He hurried over to the now open door, only to wince as the corridor burned. There was no one there, at least no one alive. A soldier laid nearby as a limp corpse, a once innocent private by the look if it, in full uniform… probably a guard.

Shepard knelt over it and, hastily, tried to see if he was alive. He had no pulse. The Commander took a deep breath, staring into the burned face of the soldier.

"And so it begins…" he whispered morosely, studying the empty fiery corridor.

The Commander immediately when after the corpse's gun, thermos-clips and omni-tool. He was going to need them soon, probably. Armed and ready, he rushed away, trying to avoid the flames.

"Anyone here?!" Shepard called as he raced down the hallways. Was everyone dead? Or had people managed to evacuate?

He climb a flight of stairs downwards, pondering about his situation. A loud roar – the so familiar hum of a Reaper – alerted Shepard that one of those behemoths was over the building. That wasn't good. As it was, though, Shepard had a problem at the moment: he was lost. He didn't recall ever walking through the corridor he so happened to be. Thankfully, there wasn't any fires burning. Still, there wasn't a soul around.

The lights were dead, only emergency lighting working. Shepard carried trotting onwards, wondering where exactly he was going. In his mind, he had a plan: get to the Normandy and regroup. Staying on Earth, at the mercy of giant doomsday creatures was not wise. From the looks of it, though, he had first to find a way out of the offices he was going across. Damn he hated paperwork.

"Hello?!" Shepard exclaimed. How could it be that he was the only one who was alive? He came across yet another body, a young woman, but aside from that the place appeared to have been abandoned.

Thankfully, he managed to reach an emergency exit door and, before he knew it, he was blinded by freedom… no sooner he was able to make out what was happening in the world around him, he felt his heart stop. In what appeared to be a parking lot, he could only stare with growing dread as the city across the river burned. A dozen Reapers carefully tiptoes around in morbid delicate manner, frequently eradicating whatever meagre resistance they encountered under them with extreme deadly precision. It was fascinatingly frightening to understand the Reapers were leaving entire skyscrapers intact, and being extremely careful with their marching across cities. Heck, Shepard could barely see the extremely precise small laser they were using to attack selectively small targets, reducing collateral damage. This wasn't extermination… the Reapers were pacifying the entire city – preparing the population… for the Harvest.

Shepard shuddered, he had to leave. He had to get away from all of it. He needed to feel the protective hum of metallic floor underneath his feet.

It was the sound of gunfire that drew Shepard attention away from the horrid scene beyond. The Commander drew out his gun and, crouching just for the parked flying-cars around to cover him, navigated the place remaining unseen. The sound of Mass Effect guns shooting and the desperate cries were unnerving, yet too few. Whatever was going in, odds were not stacked in favour of the humans.

Screams and yells chilled his blood and he felt himself stiffen. He leant over to witness yet another nightmare. Prawling as a blood-thirsty pack, a group of creatures walked past the cars, bent over as if ready to lung at anything they deemed as prey.

Shepard knew those things… those Husks. Once humans, their organic tissue had been mostly replaced by synthetic cybernetics, making them little more than hollow shells of their former selves, zombies of sorts that served the will of the Reapers. These ones were much more advanced than those Shepard had seen. Their movements weren't as sluggish or dull and they had far more tenacity with each action. They had a lot more finesse than the ones Shepard remembered.

He had to act. He had to do something. Shepard gritted his teeth. He jumped out of cover, gun at the ready, and started shooting. The first husk to fall did so oblivious of its attacker. The other two quickly tried to reach Shepard, only for their heads to be blown apart one by one. Shepard glared at the fallen Husks.

Screeching. Shepard knelt down immediately. He didn't recall ever hearing such high-pitched shiver-inducing cry. He looked around, wondering where the source was. Shepard shook his head and moved on. He had to escape.

The Commander really didn't know what to expect when he walked out of the private parking lot and tried to search the main hangar where soldiers would be deploying – and where he would find an armoury. Thing was, all he needed to do was follow the sound of shooting. From a fair distance, Shepard could see what appeared to be a group of five soldiers, clad in the dark-blue armours, trying to shake off a wave of Husks. However, these Husks weren't the normal feral type. Rather, Shepard's eyes widened as entire squads of gun-holding Husks, with weaponry of sorts beyond Shepard's knowledge, firing upon the meagre resistance.

How had the Reapers deployed such troops? Shepard wasn't sure. He, however, moved over to a side of the road, between tall green bushes, to see the massacre. As expected, the Alliance soldiers were forced to retreat. The husks, though, didn't charge after them, but rather moved with a very calm fashion towards the position they had gained. As it so happened to be, said place was one of the base's hangars.

The Commander took a deep breathe as he carefully went towards the enemy. They were oblivious to his advance, their backs turned to him, as they secured the MAKOs parked in parallel rows. Thankfully, the Reaper ground troops slowly moved onwards, into the building looming over, leaving few to guard the MAKOs. Clearly, the Reapers priority was taking over the military base. When the bulk of the forces had left, Shepard counted the enemies left behind.

Ten Husks, three with those weird guns, the rest feral and growling. Shepard gulped. This was going to be one of his most stupid moves. However, he couldn't wait for more of their reinforcements. It was a pity he didn't have any comrades with him. With lethal accuracy, Shepard pointed his gun at one of the weapon holding Husks, only to blow its head off. Shepard was able to take a second Husk's head before they snapped their heads at him. By the time they started charging at him, Shepard had killed the three with weapons, leaving the feral ones to charge at him.

Commander Shepard was thankful his gun seemed enough to deal with the Husks. It wasn't surprising, considering the guard had been carrying a heavy gun. Still, Shepard was grateful and managed to find himself walking between the MAKOs someone with relief. The Commander's first action was to move over one of the dead soldiers and dragged him to the nearest space between two MAKOs, where he could be hidden. There, Shepard proceeded to take off armour pieces and hastily put them on, from the shoulder-pads to chest-piece. It was a rushed job and it would not give him a kinetic armour. However, it might offer some protection. The next thing was the soldier's rifle and helmet.

Fully armed and ready, Shepard looked across the parking lot for the tank-like vehicle. The large blast door at the distance suggested there would be more MAKOs inside and maybe engineers. Or perhaps not. Regrardless, Shepard grimaced as he realized he didn't know where to go.

Another screech. Shepard looked around, only to see one of the falling burning comets land right at the entrance to the MAKOs parking lot. In front of the Commander, Shepard was not expecting for a group of five Husks to drag themselves out of the blazing orange flames and towards the Commander.

Shepard managed to take them out quickly, before another of those things – those bags with Reaper minions – landed behind him. Shepard took cover, expecting more Husks, only to see a new type of Husk. Rather than human, their origin was clearly Batarian. The four eyes on them was a dead giveaway. Differently from Husks, however, they had their right hands chopped off, some kind of gun installed there instead.

The Commander was not expecting a gunfight with Reaper minions, and he was not comfortable with the fact he didn't have his armour, companions or any of his modified weapons. But his skills prevailed, allowing him to kill all five of those… those things. He rose to his feet and inspected the nearest body, taking hold of the dead man's sniper rifle and thermos-clips.

"Hh-e – oh? Any – eeh – there?"

Shepard frowned, knocking his helmet. Had he heard a voice? Probably through the channels, only riddled with static. He pressed a side bottom, opening a connection to whoever was calling.

"This is Commander Shepard, do you read?" Shepard replied. At the back of his mind he scolded himself. He was no longer part of the Alliance.

"Sh- rd? Com – er Shep – d?" The voice through the coms, a young woman by the sounds of it, called. It was hard to tell over the rough static.

"I can't read you!" Shepard shouted. "What's your position?"

"Sh- ello? SHHT – Hello? Can you read me?" The voice clarified through the buzzing. Indeed, it was a woman, one with a weird accent – but that was for another time.

"Yes, loud and clear!" Shepard sighed, relieved. He looked around, keeping an eye on his surroundings.

"Oh Thank God!" The voice replied with far more relief than Shepard. "I can't believe there is someone here! When that – that thing came down the sky I really thought I was a goner. Well, all of my team are gone so…"

Shepard gritted his teeth. Just great, a panicking person as the one alive with a radio. That was Shepard's luck.

"What is your rank, soldier? What's your position? We need to evacuate!" He interrupted the woman's drivel.

"Soldier? No, no, I'm just a Specialist – Communication Specialist Samantha Traynor" the woman spluttered. "I – I have no idea where I am! That laser killed everyone and destroyed hall the facility! I can't make heads or tails of the bloody ruins!"

Shepard felt like slapping his face with frustration. He needed to run yet here he was. As he turned around, standing, his eyes fell on the river.

"Specialist Traynor, can you get to the parking lot that faces the river?" Shepard asked.

"The park… yes! Yes I can!" She happily exclaimed. "On my way!"

Shepard trotted back to the parking lot. This time around, dozen of people were running and screaming around, mad with fear. Shepard eyed them carefully as they tried to find somewhere to hide or escape. They appeared to be civilians… maybe people who thought the Alliance facility could serve as a shelter.

His attention, however, was quickly drawn to more of those dropping pods. Just as he took cover behind some cars, more of the Batarian Husks started pouring in masse. With the Lancer rifle he had taken, Shepard managed to keep the pressure back on them, but he was just one man. After taking down seven of those bastards, more poured in as well as human Husks. Where the Hell were they coming from? Shepard didn't want to know.

"I need reinforcements!" Shepard yelled as he ducked behind cover, pressing a hand over the helmet. He must have looked ridiculous without the rest of his armour. The few pieces he had on made him look like something of an old vid. "Is anybody there?"

Shepard peeped from over cover, noticing a trio of human Husks fast approaching. He shot them quickly, a sense of satisfaction filling his stomach as he saw their heads blow up. His moment of victory was short-lived as a barrage of Batarian-Husk-fire almost got him. In fact, he could have sworn some of it had scrapped him. Glancing at his arm, he was rather taken aback by the glowing orange scar where one of the bullets had scratched him. What the hell...?!

"This is for Earth, Motherfuckers!" Someone cried out.

Shepard, surprised, turned to look to his left noticing a beefy man racing over to him just as the newcomer threw something at the band of Batarian Husks. A powerful explosion told Shepard that that thing so happened to be a frag grenade.

"Damn Loco!" The marine, clad only in a skin-tight Alliance shirt and pair of baggy pants, exclaimed as he knelt next to Shepard, panting. Between his hands was a shotgun. "Madre Santa!" He gasped, as he stared at Shepard "you are THE Commander Shepard!"

"Pleasure to meet you, soldier" Shepard huffed, taking a peek from over cover. More Husks were pouring into their position – both Batarian and Human. "Let's deal with those hostiles before we chit-chat soldier!"

"Sir, yes, sir!" The man yelled, face burning with passionate determination.

Together, with the newcomer, the parking lot became a battlefield. It was amazing what two hardened soldiers could achieve. Seeing a band of Batarian Husks crouching behind a car, Shepard took cover and nudged his compatriot.

"Do you have a grenade, soldier?" Shepard asked.

The other hand was panting heavily. "Yes, sir" he nodded.

"Light those four-eyed on our eleven o'clock" Shepard ordered. "Now!"

With that cry, Shepard used his gun to draw the attention of the hostiles, the other soldier threw his last grenade at the car. As Shepard had predicted, it did not only blow the Batarian husks, it also added the cars nearby into the mix.

"Let's move!" Shepard grabbed the soldier and dragged him out of cover, using the smoke and fire as a distraction.

"Where are we going, sir?" The bulky man asked.

"A Communication specialist was on her way here – we hold this position until we catch up to her" Shepard replied as they reached the end of the parking lot, closest to the building's entrance. "What's your name?" He queried.

"James Vega" the now-identified James, sweating heavily, replied. "What's the plan?"

Shepard was about to reply when he saw movement to their right. In an instant, his weapon was ready to blow up Reaper troopers. He paused, surprised, when a slim woman rushed out of the building. If James looked beat, Samantha Traynor looked like she had never raced before. With medium-length brown hair, and pretty face, she looked like she came from a warzone… which was likely the case. If Shepard had to guess, she had been close to the impact zone of the initial shockwave – the tattered clothes, bruised face and bloodied arm, filled with scratches, told the Commander all about it.

"I – you – God!" Traynor wheezed, trying to regain her breath. "We need to leave. The-the entire place is being overrun by – by…"

"Husks" Shepard interrupted.

Noticing that the parking lot was starting to draw the attention of many hostiles, he led the team away and to a side path that snaked across grass and ferns down to the river, hiding the three behind a wall of dirt and green. Shepard looked around. They were on a small open field next to the river. It was not a defendable position. His eyes fell on a platform over the water nearby, empty, with many crates. By the looks of it, the whole thing was a wharf for small boats, of which none remained. A pity there were none floating around. Silently, they walked crouching all the way there, hiding behind the ample cover they had – distancing from the burning Alliance facility.

"We need to call for evac" Shepard told the pair.

"Won't do, sir" James shook his head grimly. "No frequencies work. Something is jamming everything".

Shepard hissed. How couldn't the Alliance prepare for this? It had been years since the Attack of Eden Prime where Sovereign jammed all communications. Now? Now they were all helpless.

"He's right… and I don't think there is anyone to actually evacuate us" Samantha's pale scared complexion was all Shepard needed to see to understand what she was alluding to. She shook her head.

"Where's the space-port?" Shepard asked.

"Ehm…" James eyes went over to a nearby Reaper that so happened to be causing a myriad of explosion over ten kilometres away. "You see big ugly there? That would be it" he mumbled dubiously.

Shepard hissed. He turned to the soldier and Communication Specialist. "Damn it! We need to contact other Alliance forces and regroup! This is a mess" he growled.

"But how?" James asked. "We can't communicate with anyone – not with the jamming… and look at the HQ" He pointed a thumb at the still burning Alliance facility.

Shepard raised an eyebrow at Traynor. She looked back at him, blinking in surprise. "You are a communication specialist? You did manage to broadcast on some frequency – an Alliance channel" he recalled.

"I – I just cleaned the static, that's all" Traynor mumbled. "I am not a miracle worker! Besides, I am not a real expert. Doctor Lemont was the expert in my lab."

"Then we go find this Lemont and we have him open a channel" James decided as if it was obvious.

"He is dead!" Traynor retorted.

"Enough, both of you" Shepard grunted. "Traynor, I know you might not be the best of the best, but right now, all I need is for you to repeat what you did back when you contacted me". He took his helmet off, handing it over to a bewildered Traynor. "Use this helmet to set a frequency".

"I don't think that's a good idea, sir" James remarked. "I think all in that frequency are goners". His eyes widened with realization. "I have another idea, sir. I know this man – Esteban. He is a pilot, a shuttle pilot. He probably is around doing evacs as we speak".

Shepard nodded. "James, give her the link information, now!" He ordered.

A loud screech behind them made them shiver. Shepard turned to the frightened Traynor. "James, give her the intel she needs – Traynor, just do what you did before, alright?" He tried to sound calming, decisive, but at the moment, he wondered if his voice wasn't cracking with the stress.

Another screech, this time louder. "I think they know where we are!" James cried out, moving out of cover and shooting at the hostiles. Indeed, from the green fields came human Husks, rushing like mad dogs at them.

"Do your thing, Traynor" Shepard squeezed her shoulder, looking at her with confidence. She nodded back at him, determined. "James, give her the frequency and let's hold this position!"

Damn, he hadn't considered how little escape routes they had. Shepard did consider the river, but at the moment that was not advisable. Batarians and human Husks started appearing from all around, coming from the facility. In no time, the furious echoes of shooting feeling the field as shots were traded. James and Shepard were able to hold them back, but they were too many.

"I'm out!" James cried out, panicking.

Shepard threw his Lancer rifle at James, who stared at the Commander with confusion. Shepard pulled out his handgun. "Make every shot count!" He yelled back.

And yet that was not enough. More of the Batarian Husks showed up, gathering in force behind crate closer to land. Shepard proved he was an excellent marksman as with each shot one head of the Reaper forces, be it Batarian or Human, blew up. James wasn't that bad either, although the anxiety and distress were apparent on his movement, as well as exhaustion. The poor soldier looked like he had been showered with buckets of water.

"Any moment now, Traynor!" James shouted.

"I'm working on it!" Samantha replied at the top of her lungs.

Shepard cursed as his handgun hissed, sizzling with heat. There were no thermos-clips left. He activated his omni-tool, thankful it had an omni-blade. Soon enough, he heard the clatter of a rifle falling on the ground as James dropped a sizzling Lancer. The large soldier took his shotgun, grabbing it like a club. The two soldiers, their backs pressed on different crates, exchanged looks. With resolution in their eyes, they nodded.

"Hello? Hello?!" Samantha called, having established a link.

Shepard stabbed at the human Husk that leapt at him, before kicking it off and slicing the head of another one off. James roared as he slammed the butt of his shotgun on one of the Batarian husks that had walked too close to him. Their small moment of triumph was cut short as they were fired upon by a gathering mass of Batarian Husks.

"…Vega, is that you?" The trio heard coming from Traynor's omni-tool. "Thank God you are alive!"

"Esteban this is not the best time for your whining!" James shouted as he threw a human Husk, still flailing, at the incoming horde meters away. Shepard, on the other hand, was making quick work with those dumb enough to get to close to him.

"I'm locking into your position! Hold on!" The voice at the other side declared.

James sat down, exhausted. He was back in cover, and he was badly winded. There was also a long wound running across his chest where one of those Husks had sliced him. Blood trickled down on one eye and three scarlet diagonal lines glowered on his left cheek. One of the Batarian bastards had almost gotten him on the shoulder, if the scorched mark there and the way he held onto that arm was anything to go by. Next to him, Shepard was still at it, a pile of dead Husks gathering. The Commander went back to cover as the human Husks run out. The clattering of the enemy bullets replaced the once ceaseless hand-to-hand combat as Batarian Husks opened fire on their position.

"You alright there, James?" Shepard asked.

"Damn Loco, how you holding up like that?" The soldier replied faintly, his eyes appearing disoriented for a moment.

"Come on, soldier" the Commander told James. "We are almost there".

BOOM. Both Shepard and James leaned out of their cover, taking a peek, as a pair of explosions tore the gathered Batarian Husks to pieces. Their heads snapped overhead where an Alliance shuttle, with a pair of cannons at each side, rained fire on the Reaper minions. James and Shepard traded relieved expressions, grabbing their empty weapons.

With no Husks left standing, the shuttle hovered down, over the platform, a side door opening. The trio on the ground didn't need to be told what to do as they went forward. Shepard hurried over to James and helped him to his feet. In a matter of seconds, all three survivors were inside of the shuttle.

"Damn it is good to see you, Esteban" James wheezed as he leant over to the cockpit, his head looming over the pilot's shoulder.

"Didn't think I'd leave you, did you?" Esteban laughed. "Hold tight ladies, we are off!"

The shuttle lurched forward. Traynor, who hadn't been sitting, tripped backwards. Shepard, with his quick reflexes, caught her with one arm while holding to a hanger above with the other. James didn't even flinch, already holding to the pilot's seat. The Communication Specialist blushed profoundly as Shepard helped her to a nearby seat, thoroughly winded and embarrassed.

"What's the situation, soldier?" Shepard asked the pilot.

"It's Hell twice-over, sir" the pilot replied respectfully. "Any other survivors down there?"

"No" Shepard replied all too quickly. Even if there were, they were likely overrun. Too many husks had gone to them to have been occupied elsewhere… that and that initial laser appeared to have gotten a good lot of forces with one shot. Those Reapers really did have quite a punch.

"Where to?" James asked.

"I will fly over nearby" the pilot replied. "With any luck, there will be someone else there – maybe more troops".

"Fly us low, Esteban" James begged. "Don't want one of those big uglies on us".

"Don't wet your pants there, Vega" the pilot chuckled. "I doubt they can detect us. This shuttle is a stealth model – prototype tech. Remember about the thing I told you I was working on that I couldn't tell you? This was it".

"You stole it?" James laughed. "Darn, Estaban, I didn't know you had the balls to do it".

"I was the only person around – and it isn't stealing. It is safekeeping. Those things out there are destroying every ship in the air… or the ground" the pilot explain glumly.

"Reapers" Shepard stated. Everyone snapped their heads at him. Shepard glared at the door, knowing what the world outside looked like. "It's good you were around, by the way" he casually added to the pilot. "I'm Commander Shepard – or well, I used to be".

"You must be THE Commander Shepard, huh?" The pilot remarked chirpily. "Steve Cortez, nice to meet you – though I wish it was under better circumstances" he introduced himself. "Yeah, we all heard about you getting some kind of house arrest or something?"

"Something of the sort" Shepard grunted with disdain, glaring at the burning world across the viewscreen in front of them.

There was a moment of silence where no one knew what to say. What could they possibly say? The world was ending outside, the end of times was crashing upon humanity, and they were lucky enough to be somewhere relatively safe.

"Wait, I've got something here" Steve suddenly said. He pressed a few bottoms on his console.

"…is th – ody" *static* "-ard. Is any-" *more static*

"Traynor, you know what to do" Shepard turned to the woman behind him, who was already standing and hurrying over to the co-pilot seat.

"…I repeat, is anybody there? This is-" Shepard felt his heart skipping as he recognized the voice. He didn't even pause to hear what was being broadcasted. He leant forward, pushing James aside, and pressed on the console to reply.

"Joker, this is Shepard, where the hell are you?" Shepard felt elated even though his tone was almost reprimanding.

"Shepard? I knew it! I knew you could make it!" The familiar voice cried out in joy. "I'm on the Normandy and ready to pick up".

"Are you in the air?" Shepard asked.

"You bet I am" Joker scoffed. "Hold on tight, Commander, we are coming!"

Shepard grinned, joyous. Finally… good news.

* * *

The Commander felt more than relieved when he walked out of the shuttle, his feet touching none other than the cold metal floor of the Normandy. He took a deep breath of air. This was home… the Normandy. Behind him an equally relieved Traynor, James and Cortez trudged their way out, sharing a long, winded groan.

"Shepard?"

The Commander froze, eyes wide. He snapped his head at a side. There, barely a few feet out of the elevator to the hangar bay, was none other than Ashley Williams. Clad in some kind of custom uniform with a very short shirt and perhaps a bit too tight in all the right places, dishevelled and with her raven long hair messed up all around, she stared at him, shocked.

"Ash" Shepard whispered, smiling.

The two remained staring at each other, unable to say anything in pure awkwardness. The last time they had spoken, after all, things had been said… some of them rather nasty.

"Hey, Commander, where do you want us to go?" Joker's voice suddenly interrupted. What was with him and his knack to catch Shepard in such situations?

The Commander frowned, thinking long and hard. His compatriots, however, didn't really put much thought on that.

"Set course to Alliance HQ – there must be survivors there" Ashley decided.

"No, we came from there" James interceded. "It was hit right away – one big ass laser destroyed the entire place on one go, and that was before SOBs started pouring down on us".

"Yeah, and it doesn't look like the flood will stop" Steve nodded, rubbing the back of his head with discomfort.

"Th-then we should contact the USA Army" Ashley corrected, horrified by the news. "They must be regrouping".

"The R-Reapers are jamming all communications" Samantha replied, dubiously.

"Joker, take us to Mars" Shepard ordered.

"Mars?" Ashley and James asked at the same time, taken aback.

"If Earth fell, then Luna is down for the count too" Shepard explained. "Right now, we need to leave the Sol system and get to Arcturus pronto – right now we need to regroup before we try to do anything".

"Yeah, but why Mars?" Steve queried, confused.

"There are many Alliance outposts there – we need to evacuate all personnel before we leave" Shepard elaborated. "With any luck there will be soldiers there we can rescue".

"Wait, if the Reapers reached Earth…" Ashley bit her lower lip, pale. "Th-then Arcturus is probably gone".

There was a long pregnant moment of silence. While they still felt the horrible notion of so many people dead, the prospect of that notion settling in was much worse.

"If that is the case, then we go to the Citadel and link up with the Alliance representatives there. Right now, we are in complete chaos" Shepard sighed wearily. To the ceiling, he added "set course to Mars".

"Aye, aye" Joker replied.

Shepard took a deep breath. He turned to Ashley, who looked unsure and distraught. "I saw a Reaper trashing down the Vancouver space port. How did you manage to escape?" He wondered.

"Oh, the Normandy wasn't at the space port. It was on a separate dock. When we saw the first Reaper land, we simply took off" Ashley retold. "And just in time too. Had we stalled a bit longer…" she shuddered.

Shepard looked around the hangar, somewhat surprised by the lack of personnel. Actually, the entire place was empty. "I see you didn't get to evacuate many people" he remarked.

"No" Ashley admitted with guilt in his voice. "Most people weren't even around when the attack came. All we've got are a handful of technicians, Joker, two snot-nosed privates and Chief Engineer Adams – those were all the people who were at the hangar when the Reapers came".

"Damn… we can't leave like this" James commented. "There are people we could evacuate or something, y'know?"

"No, it is too dangerous" Shepard shook his head. "Besides, with any luck, we might fill the ship with people from Mars".

"I'm with Shepard on that one. The Martian settlements are sitting ducks for those things back on Earth" Steve admitted. "At least on Earth people have a chance to run away…"

"What's our ETA Joker?" Shepard asked at the ceiling.

"One hour and ten minutes" Joker replied.

"Alright, do we have any guns around here?" The Commander wondered.

Ashley sighed despondently. "Negative, Skipper. The Normandy wasn't even done with the retro-fits when we took off – and the guns are always the last thing we load up".

"Bloody bureaucrats" James snorted.

"It makes sense, though, doesn't it? Why have guns hanging outside the armoury for anyone to steal when the ship isn't even ready to leave" Ashley rebutted. James shrugged, somewhat convinced. "No one expected the Reapers to show up".

"Hold on a moment… retrofit? You retrofitted my ship?" Shepard frowned at Ashley.

"Ehm – well, the ship is no longer yours" Ashley mumbled, unwilling to continue. She did try to sound like the hard and stern military woman she was, but it was hard when facing down Shepard of all people.

"Oh, just great, so the Alliance didn't just lock me up for no good reason, they took my ship and messed up with it?" Shepard grunted.

"I concur" a synthetic voice resounded across the hanger, one that was feminine and somewhat attractive. "The main modification was the dismantling of the laboratory and conference room in order to fit the War Room".

"Good to hear your voice, EDI" Shepard replied with a grin.

"Likewise" the voice stated.

"Wait, did the ship's computer just…?" Samantha spluttered, baffled. She wasn't the only one. The people around were all shocked.

"EDI is a full-fledged AI" Shepard chuckled. "Don't piss her off, though. She has control of all our systems".

Ashley's mouth opened and closed as her wide-eyes stared into Shepard's. "A-an AI? What was Cerberus thinking?!" She exclaimed, outraged. "And control of all our systems? That's – that's…"

Shepard shrugged, walking over to the elevator. "Doesn't matter. EDI is a vital member of this ship – will this be a problem?" He turned to Ashley and the others.

"I – ehm… isn't this kind of against the rules or something?" James wondered, rubbing the nape of his neck with uncertainty.

"It is plain illegal" Ashley retorted. "AI are banned from Council space – and for a good reason".

"We both know Cerberus has a knack for doing illegal things. Installing an AI in a ship so happens to be one of them" Shepard sighed, really not wanting to break into an argument. "Let's have this discussion after we leave the Sol system, alright? First we need to see what we have and plan what we will do on Mars. Understood?"

"Sir, yes, sir" James and Steve saluted at Shepard. Samantha, looking a bit out of place and embarrassed, followed suit. Ashley looked at them, an eyebrow raised.

"I wasn't actually reinstated to the Alliance but I appreciate the formality" Shepard chuckled. "Alright, let's prepare for Mars… if we need to make a stop there, that is".


	2. Part I - Chapter 2: Martian Revelations

**Chapter II: Martian revelations**

Commander Shepard did not like the situation. It was bad enough the Reapers were besieging Earth, and the Alliance had been caught with the pants down. And yet, here, Mars, that had not one smirch of the Reapers if the Normandy's scanners were anything to go by, seemed to be having problems. If that wasn't bad enough, he was limited to a standard Alliance space-suit and Lancer, barely enough thermos-clips for sustained combat, flying into the unknown.

He wearily sat on the back of the shuttle yet again. Opposite him, he noticed Ashley – clad in her own navy armour – glancing at him. Shepard really didn't know how to interpret the way she looked at him. If he had to guess, it was suspicion. He couldn't blame her. The last time they had spoken, he was working alongside a terrorist organization and she was with the Alliance. Now? Now the world was ending and he was back into the Alliance… sort of.

"What do you expect to find down at the Archives?" James' voice echoed across the communication of their helmets, all of which were tightly sealed.

"The largest marine detachment of Mars is here – so at least I am hoping we can arm the Normandy up. We are in a war after all. Getting a few dozen extra hands on board is always a plus. However, the Archives also has the latest research on the Protheans, and some of the best scientists. We are going to need them for this war" Shepard explained.

"What do you think happened, though? No coms or anything…" James offered. "You don't think the Reapers already hit here, do you?"

"Maybe the personnel evacuated" Ashley proposed. "I mean, news about Earth must have reached here already. Maybe they all left the Sol system?"

"Well, if they did, then we have an entire base to scavenge. If they didn't, and there is something wrong here… then we will fix it" Shepard replied. "In any case, Cortez, once we land, I want you to fly over the nearest bio-dome and see if there is anyone home. If we aren't picking soldiers and scientists up we might as well evacuate civilians".

"Understood" the pilot replied.

"Joker" Shepard pressed a button on his helmet, connecting to the Normandy "is there any traffic up there?"

"Negative, there's still nothing on my board" Joker replied. "But that maybe that's because of the storm. I suggest you hurry up, Commander. You have two hours tops".

The shuttle shook a bit, making Shepard uneasy. Something in his gut was telling him things were about to get complicated… big time. James walked out of the co-pilot sit, stomping heavily across the back of the shuttle. His trusted shotgun swayed was stuck on his standard armour's back. By the looks of it, the man was somewhat uncomfortable with the standard space-suit issue of the Alliance. Given his size, Shepard could guess the reason.

"We are almost there, Commander" James told the two. He sounded nervous. "Do you think there's going to be some action?"

Ashley and Shepard stood up, taking hold of the hangers overhead.

"Knowing my luck, James, I wouldn't be surprised" Shepard grunted.

The shuttle touched down and the trio hopped off the vessel. No sooner where they on Martian ground did Cortez fly the shuttle off. In the distance, picking up menacingly, was one hell of a storm.

"Jesus, look at the size of that thing!" Ashley exclaimed, looking at the sandstorm.

Shepard took a deep breath. "Let's not waste our time out here" he declared, leading the way.

He had decided to land a good hundred metres away from the Archives' entrance, in case there were complications in the form of armed hostiles. That and the fact that maybe a nervous trigger-happy marine could be down below and thought it was within his jurisdiction to shoot an unidentified shuttle.

Sadly, what might have been a peaceful trek to the Archives' entrance was quickly dispelled as they reached the main road. On the red dirt of Mars and exposed to the gusts of dusty wind, the three soldiers were surprised to find two corpses… two dead Alliance soldiers. They all raised their weapons and proceeded with caution. Bullet-holes… that wasn't a good sign.

"Damn, what happened to them?" James asked as Shepard knelt to the nearest corpse.

"Shot on the back" Shepard pointed out as he picked the thermos-clips from the bodies. No point in letting them go to waste with the dead, after all. He also grabbed the weapons. "I guess we now know we are going to have some action".

"Who would do this?" Ashley wondered, perplexed. "Attacking Alliance soldiers… and now that the Reapers have arrived?"

"We'll know soon enough" Shepard replied as he stood up. "Come on" he told the others as he took point.

Following the road, they soon came across the Archives' entrance. Before they could get any closer though, the three Alliance soldiers quickly found the culprits behind the murder of the Alliance soldiers before. Clad in white and orange, with black outlines, stood some kind of shock troopers. The design of their armours showed these were not your everyday mercenary group or gang, but rather an organized army of sorts.

Across a group of rovers, six of those hostiles guarded the entrance. Dead Alliance soldiers laid at their feet, all around. It had looked like some kind of massacre, with only blue-clad corpses over red dust.

"Alliance soldiers!" One of them shouted to the others. With great speed and precision, they immediately started taking shots at them with their rifles.

Shepard knelt behind a boulder, shooting back. Ashley and James followed suit, finding cover and answering with fire of their own. Whoever these guys were, they were good. They spread out, making use of the many rovers around to avoid getting shot. These enemies also seemed to communicate effectively. It was a pity, though, that they weren't good enough. One by one, Shepard got them with a few good shots at the head alongside Ashley and James.

The Commander frowned as the last hostile fell on the ground, dead. He didn't recognize the armours… he couldn't say the same about the insignia on their chest and shoulders. He carefully walked over to the nearest one.

"Cerberus…" Ashley hissed.

"Wha'? These guys are Cerberus?" James mumbled, surprised. "I thought they were mercenaries or something".

Shepard knelt over the closest one, studying the weapon. It looked like the standard Mattock rifle. "It would seem so" he slowly nodded, unsure. "But what is Cerberus doing here?"

"You don't know?" Ashley asked.

Shepard looked at the woman, glaring at her. Was she accusing him of something? He decided to let it slide. She did have a good reason to mistrust him. He HAD worked alongside Cerberus.

"No" Shepard shook his head "not unless they are after the Prothean Archives".

"That's bloody good timing" scoffed James.

"It was most likely on purpose, James" Shepard pointed out. "With everyone distracted by the Reapers invading Earth, Cerberus saw the opportunity to strike".

"There are like six vehicles of Cerberus… and I bet each could hold like ten each, at most. Sixty soldiers wouldn't be enough to siege this place" Ashley realized. "How did they manage to get inside, though? These ones clearly were standing guard".

"Inside help" James suggested.

"Or a good infiltration team managed to open the door for the main force – and with everyone distracted…" Shepard sighed, frustrated. "Let's get inside…"

The three really didn't like the idea that dozen more armed Cerberus troops were waiting inside of the Archives, butchering Alliance soldiers and civilians. Shepard, though, was more curious to know how Cerberus went from a relatively small and civilian-like group with lack of ethics to some kind of private army that actively fought the Alliance. He didn't recall seeing any of the Cerberus soldiers like the ones outside having been there during Project Overlord or elsewhere. Then again, maybe this was just a small special task force from the Illusive Man.

The first room they managed to get into happened to be a garage. It was empty, yet they got a bad feeling about the place. Just as they were half way through, they heard sounds… clatter and clunking coming from the ventilation system. They traded looks and, silently, took positions, guns ready. What Shepard did not expect was for an asari to jump out of the ventilation shaft and then, with cold hardened precision, kill two of those Cerberus soldiers that clumsily followed after her. He wasn't expecting that asari to be Liara T'soni even less.

Dressed in the same white with hints of blue clothes from the last time they had met, Shepard walked over to the asari. Something made him remain cautious, a gut-feeling. That or Liara looked rather threatening and dangerous. Regardless, he kept his gun at the ready.

"Liara?" Shepard eyed the asari carefully, glancing at the two soldiers she had killed so… so coldly. He knew she had gone dark but… a part of him really couldn't dispel that image of an innocent Liara from a time long, long ago.

"Shepard?" The blue-skinned alien turned around, shocked. "Williams?" Liara turned to Ashley, just as surprised of seeing her.

Shepard lowered his weapon, looking at Liara with confusion. "What are you doing here, Liara?" He asked.

"Probably the same reason you are" Liara replied, dusting her clothing with an elegant hand. "I've been here studying the Prothean ruins for some months now – mostly trying to find if there was anything we could use against the Reapers".

"What happened here, exactly?" Shepard looked around. "What's Cerberus doing here?"

"I can't say I know" Liara admitted awkwardly. "It must have been an hour ago, when I discovered something was wrong. First, our communication was cut from the rest of Mars – we thought it might have been a glitch… and just like that, all of a sudden a team of Cerberus shock troopers were rushing into my lab – shooting anything that moved.

"If I had to guess, Shepard, Cerberus must be after the Prothean Beacon here" the asari offered.

"I don't see what else" Ashley added with a nod of agreement.

"Any particular reason?" Shepard wondered.

"They might be after the… the Crucible" Liara spluttered, distressed.

"The what?" The Commander frowned.

"The Crucible… that's the codename for an ancient Prothean weapon of mass destruction, or at least the schematic to one – initial analysis suggested it could be the key to the Reapers' defeat" Liara explained. "We had found it buried deep in the Archives and we were in the process of extracting it… when Cerberus attacked".

"It can't be a coincidence" James pointed out. "They find a weapon like that and suddenly they show up?"

"I am more worried that the Reapers chose that exact moment to hit Earth too" Shepard hummed in consideration.

"Th-The Reapers… hit Earth?" Liara gasped.

"More like smashed it ten times over" Shepard grumbled. "We are wasting time here. James, head back and call Cortez. Scavenge the bodies of the dead Cerberus soldiers and fill the shuttles with anything of value. Be ready for pick-up".

"What? Hell no" James retorted. "I want to give those Cerberus bastards some payback!"

"Don't argue with me, soldier" Shepard yelled. "Don't act tough. You are still winded from Earth".

"And so are you" James shot back.

"You don't see me sweating" the Commander rebutted. "Get back and stay at the ready. We might need you later on".

James glared at Shepard, before nodding and heading over to the elevator. The Commander contained his sigh of relief, as he led Ashley and Liara onwards, into the Archives. Sometimes some soldiers would be dumb enough to disobey orders… it was good when that didn't happen.

The path ahead consisted mostly of offices… where Cerberus troops were waiting for them. It must have been like twelve of those heavy shock troopers, taking cover behind desks and all alike, when they arrived. However, Shepard was not to be stopped or slowed down. With Liara's biotics and Ashley's support fire, even well-trained Cerberus footmen had to retreat.

They got a moment of respite as they reached a security checkpoint, where two Alliance soldiers were found dead. There was some ammo, and guns. Other than that, the three moved onwards – engaging with yet another dozen Cerberus soldiers.

"Goddess…" Liara gasped as they walked across a long corridor. To their left, through windows, they could see the interior of various labs. The reason the asari had reacted the way she did was by the many corpses of innocent scientists laid all around. By the looks of it, they had been dragged there…

"Why is Cerberus doing this?" Ashley growled. "This is a massacre!"

Shepard hummed deep in thought. "This isn't Cerberus M.O. Something isn't right here" he replied.

"Not their M.O.? This is exactly their way of working, Shepard!" Ashley pointed, angrily, at the labs.

"I'll have to agree with Williams" Liara chimed in.

"No, you don't get it. If they wanted to get to the Prothean Beacon as soon as possible, why bother killing every person around? It is like Cerberus is more interested in killing the personnel than reaching the Archives" Shepard pointed out.

"I don't think they thought anyone would oppose them" Liara rebutted. "In their eyes, they probably believed they had all the time in the world to kill innocent people. Besides, you are forgetting that Cerberus most likely didn't want to leave any witnesses behind".

"This is too brutally efficient to be just that" Shepard shook his head. "But never mind, let's move on!"

And on they moved. More Cerberus soldier threw themselves at them, trying to stall them. How could three people go against two dozen Cerberus shock troopers and come on top? Shepard had no idea. Regardless, it didn't take them long to reach the trail station and take a shuttle across the railway to the Archives. They were greeted, not surprisingly, by the remaining dozens of Cerberus forces who by then were far more desperate. By then Shepard was really questioning his own skills by the way they dispatched them all. He knew his kill-count was over the three dozen.

Entering the Archives proper, Shepard felt a sense of awe wash over him as he saw the large Prothean artefact at the middle. It was huge, taking the very centre of the large hall. All around, terminals and computers face the Prothean construct. Liara, on the other hand, simply hurried over to a nearby console.

"Those Cerberus bastards were too damn tough" Ashley wheezed tiredly. She eyed Shepard, who stared at the Prothean thing with glistened eyes. "You look like you could go on for days…" something in the way she said that made Shepard grit his teeth. There was an accusatory tone underneath there, as if she was accusing him of treachery or something - again. "You haven't lost your touch" she added light-heartedly, forcing a smile as he turned to squint at her.

The Commander sighed despondently, shaking his head. Had his relationship with Ashley been torn to tatters? Probably. They were both too stubborn. The difference was that Shepard at least had done more than enough to prove his loyalty. Then again… Shepard had died. It must have hit the poor woman hard. As Liara worked, Shepard allowed himself to lean back on a wall next to the asari, studying the Prothean Beacon.

Here was the thing that shot humanity into a new future, allowing millions to answer the long-asked question. Was humanity alone? Nope. There was still no telling the many more pieces of information hidden within the alien artefact. What marvels could be buried in there? Could there be more to help humanity?

"Shepard"

The Commander's eyes widened. He knew that bloody voice anywhere – clearly on that day he was going to hear many familiar voices apparently. He snapped his head around. Behind him, standing regally, with an expensive tuxedo suit and a cigar on his mouth, was none other than the Illusive Man, smugly smiling at Shepard. Ashley glared at the image, although confusion seemed to mar her face too. What was the hologram of such a person doing other there?

"Illusive Man" Shepard grunted, folding his arms. "Here I was thinking you would send a postcard or something some time ago".

"Oh, I tried, believe me, but the Alliance was too stubborn to understand you were needed elsewhere" the Illusive Man replied good-naturedly. The hologram turned around, looking back at the entrance where he noticed the dead soldiers. He seemed amazed. "I see you haven't lost your edge in combat… that's good. We are going to need that".

"What do you want?" Shepard sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "Was it necessary to slaughter everyone here?"

"Indeed, it was – a terrible loss for humanity, but necessary" the Illusive Man nodded soberly. "As to what I want…" he turned to Liara, a scowl forming on his face. "I want what I always wanted. That and to stop you from making a huge mistake".

"You mean you want to stop me from getting my hands on the weapon to destroy the Reapers?" Shepard rebutted, arms folded. "We should be working together, not fighting each other!"

"I agree, Shepard – it isn't too late for you to join back Cerberus" the hologram nodded. "And as for this weapon… you are being extremely short-sighted, Shepard. You never struck me as a visionary, but at least you were one to see what laid before you. Like the Collector Base – even against your own morals you decided to take control of the base instead of destroying it because you understand how it all fitted in the grand scheme of things. You were able to predict what it would mean and acted upon it".

"What's your point?" Shepard muttered. The Illusive Man couldn't possibly be suggesting assuming control of the Reapers somehow… did he now?

"Shepard, someone is erasing the information from the Archives!" Liara interrupted.

"What?!" Shepard shouted, surprised. He turned to the smirking hologram of the Illusive Man.

"We'll meet another time, Shepard, under better circumstances…" the Illusive Man haughtily said, turning away. The image blurred and the hologram vanished.

"Hands up!" Ashley cried out.

Shepard blinked, somewhat surprised, by the fact Ashley had crept away and was now aiming at someone hiding in some sort of cabin.

"Hands where I can see them!" The female marine bellowed.

Ashley stepped back, allowing for a woman to slowly walk out of the cabin, hands on her back. Blonde, with pretty blue eyes, she had quite the body figure on her. She was dressed on some kind of tight outfit that reminded Shepard heavily of Miranda Lawson… yeah, this woman probably was part of Cerberus too.

"Doctor Eva Core?" Liara asked, shocked.

"Doctor T'soni" the woman replied stoically. There were no emotions on her face as she turned to Ashley. "I surrender" she stated softly.

"Quickly, she has the information! Get her omni-tool" Liara ordered, desperately.

"Turn around, now" Ashley ordered. Dr Core did as told. Tentatively, with Shepard and Liara aiming their guns at the blonde, Ashley approached the prisoner and removed the woman's omni-tool.

Ashley threw it off at Liara, who grabbed the omni-tool and started going through its files. "There… I hope most of the Crucible's schematics are at least intact" Liara sighed with relief. The asari turned to Dr Core, a strange look on her face. "Why? Why did you betray the Alliance? Your fellow co-workers…"

The blonde remained awfully quiet, however, only staring at Liara. It was rather off-putting the way Dr Core's face wouldn't even scrunch once to show anything of life on her face. Shepard actually wondered if Cerberus hadn't done something to her.

"Let's take her to the Normandy" Shepard decided. "Find some way of restraining her. We will interrogate her there".

"The Council needs to see the Crucible, Shepard" Liara told the Commander.

"Agreed, but first…" Shepard looked at his surroundings. He pressed a button on his helmet, patching a channel to the shuttle. "James, you there?"

"Aye, we are over the Archives" James replied.

"Bring the shuttle down. There are a few things I'd like to take to the Normandy" Shepard sighed, tiredness catching up to him. He looked at Dr Core, who stared at him with… was it interest? He shook his head. This mission to Mars had been a mess…

* * *

"So this is the War Room" Shepard hummed, looking at the large circular projector at the centre of the room. Around it, a platform with consoles against the wall lined up what would be the new place on the Normandy. Shepard didn't really see the point of having such waste of space… but seeing as a war was going on, he would find a use to it after all.

"Fitting, I suppose" Liara commented as she walked past Shepard. "We all knew the Normandy would be central in the coming conflict".

Behind her James and Ashley took their places around the projector. The two really looked like they needed to hit a bunk bed and soon. Shepard folded his arms, leaning against the raised platform as he leisurely studied the room. His lab had been undone for this? What had happened to all the expensive equipment?

"What's our ETA to Arcturus?" James asked, leaning over the projector, glancing at Ashley.

"Two hours…" Ashley replied, exhausted. She seemed to be ready to sleep as it was. "Does everything always go to hell with us, Skipper?"

"You know me and my luck" Shepard chuckled hollowly. "So what do you got for us, Liara?"

"This" the asari smiled proudly as she connected her omni-tool to the projector. Immediately, the image of… something, popped up as a hologram.

The three humans leant forward, amazed. "Is that…?" James' eyes widened.

"The Crucible… the answer to the Reapers" Liara declared confidently.

"Wait, the Protheans had a weapon to take down the Reapers all along?" Shepard frowned, confused.

"It would seem so" the asari nodded, unsure. "If my studies are correct, it seems that at some point the Protheans were able to develop this weapon against the Reapers… but were never able to finish it on time…"

"I can see why" Ashley whistled. "Just how big is that thing?" She wondered.

"Large – it will be a colossal undertaking" Liara confessed, uncertain. "It might actually require the cooperation of all the species to finish it". She then grimaced. "Unfortunately, the schematic on Mars was incomplete. It would seem that there is a component missing… something dubbed the Catalyst".

"How does it work?" Shepard asked, frowning.

"From preliminary analysis, it would appear it emits a strong energy pulse – a discharge of incredible proportions. The true nature of the pulse, however, is not something I have yet calculated – for all we know, the missing component, this Catalyst, will be the key factor on the delivery" Liara answered.

"It's too good to be true, Hermano" James told Shepard.

"I feel you" Shepard nodded. "How did the Alliance miss something of this size in the Archives?"

"There was an abundance of information at the Archives, Shepard. Moreover, let us say that we found this weapon out of desperation and rapid process of elimination – and I might have had a clue of what to find" Liara admitted.

"EDI, give me your analysis" Shepard ordered.

"Analysing…" EDI's synthetic voice echoed across the empty room. Ashley and James shuffled uneasily while Liara seemed unperturbed.

"You know about the EDI?" Ashley noticed.

"Of course… you will find I am well informed these days" Liara smirked at the human woman.

"I am unable to draw any conclusions with the gathered data, Shepard" EDI stated. "From the present schematics, function and mechanism are impossible to ascertain. However, it would seem Dr T'soni's observation that the device's function is to produce a massive energy discharge is correct – or would appear to be so. Then again, my data banks lack proper information of Prothean engineering and mechanics".

"Thanks anyway, EDI" Shepard sighed. He really didn't like the sound of any of it. A massive weapon, just there for the making… the uncertainties were too many. "I am more curious to know what Cerberus knew about this – eh - Crucible. They must have known something to want it so badly…"

"I don't know, Skipper… weapon of mass destruction, one of a kind? You don't need to be Cerberus to want it – I bet half the Terminus would pay a lot just for a whiff of it… the other half might even invade Mars themselves" Ashley replied, unsure.

She had missed Shepard's point, but the Commander was not interested in pushing the topic further.

"What are we going to do about this weapon, Shepard?" Liara inquired.

"What can we do?" Shepard shrugged. "It isn't like we could build it on our own – and I doubt anyone would be willing to spend resources on such an unknown thing, not now that the Reapers are upon us".

"I… I was thinking of presenting it to the Council" Liara suggested.

"Ha, good luck with that" Shepard muttered. At the moment, however, Shepard was more inclined to present the Council with the middle finger than anything. As childish as it was, the Commander was rather exasperated by the Council as a whole – well, that was the common theme between himself and politicians.

"I say we try the brass first" Ashley offered. "We give this intel to command and they are bound to build it, or at least they will think what to do next".

"I believe we should try to pool the efforts of all species before it is too late" Liara shook her head, in disagreement. "The earlier we get the Crucible built, the earlier we defeat the Reapers".

"If that thing can do the trick" James clarified.

He seemed reluctant to concede the point that one large construct could do what the entire Alliance fleet couldn't. Shepard was on the same boat. He didn't like trusting everything on one mysterious thing – after seeing the Reapers just… landing on Earth without anyone being able to even slow them down… it was hard to believe a McGuffin like that one could possibly beat them.

"Do we have another option?" Liara replied.

The three humans traded faces, sharing their own uncertainty with each other. Shepard, in the end, sighed in defeat. "No, you are right" he admitted "I don't see any other way of winning this".

"I am more than sure the Council will see the need of building the Crucible" the asari offered a kind reassuring smile.

"I hope so" Ashley grunted "or it is going to be a really short war".

"Alright, I suppose we are done this weapon. We will take this to the brass AND the Council, and then cross our fingers and hope this doesn't destroy entire solar systems" Shepard declared. "Now, James, what is the status of our armoury?"

The large muscular man was about to speak when a large beep echoed across the room, interrupting the quartet.

"Ehm… Captain? I'm sorry to interrupt, but it would seem we are receiving a transmission… it is from the Fifth Fleet" Traynor's voice stated.

"Patch it to the com-room" Ashley told the Communication Specialist. She turned to a baffled Shepard, pointing at the small side-room. "Over there, Shepard. I'll go and check on our prisoner".

"Good, Liara, I want you to file everything relevant about this Crucible for presentation – James, you and Cortez take an inventory of our weapons, thermos-clips and anything we might use for battle" Shepard commanded. Seeing the beefy man's exhaustion, he amended "after a good nap".

The three companions nodded, walking around the projector towards the exit while Shepard trotted over to what had been called the 'com-room'. He was anxious to know what news there were about Admiral Hackett. Knowing the grizzled old man, however, Shepard would probably be given one mission or another.

There, on the far end of the circular room, was what Shepard recognized as the same device he had used to talk to the Illusive Man once upon a time. Why had it been moved? Shepard had no idea. It was too damn close to the War Room for his liking, and the way it lacked any door or privacy was not up to his standards. Thankfully, he knew how to work the console.

It was a great relief to see the holographic shape of Admiral Hackett in person showing up. He looked battered and with a nasty burn on his chin, but other than that, the Admiral seemed as tough as always.

"Sir" Shepard saluted before he even thought about it.

"Shepard, this is a surprise" the Admiral exclaimed, grimly eyeing Shepard. There was reluctance on his stance and weariness. "Where is Anderson? I need to speak with him immediately."

"Anderson?" The Commander frowned. "He is… not here". He tilted his head, leaning over the console, dreading the conversation that would follow.

"What's your status? Where are you?" Hackett asked, frustrated.

"We are on our way to the Charon Relay, headed to Arcturus" Shepard answered.

"Negative, Commander – avoid Arcturus" Hackett quickly ordered with a grave voice. "The Reapers have control of that system and nothing was left standing. What about Earth? What's the status there?"

"Lost" Shepard sighed, shaking his head despondently. "The Reapers showed up in full force and took control of all major cities in a manner of minutes. Alliance HQ in Vancouver was destroyed when they first showed up – almost no one else survived, and that was before the place was overrun with Husks".

"Damn it" Hackett muttered, looking downwards. His shoulder slumped and suddenly age started to show on the man's face. "This will be marked as a tragic day in our history, Commander" he grunted. "What about evacuation? What about Earth's Defence Fleet or defence stations?"

"Nothing. They have gone dark" Shepard replied.

Hackett's morose face turned downward, his face marred with sorrow. "I knew Earth was lost no sooner the Reapers swept through Arcturus… but I had never imagined I would live to witness the most horrific human defeat in history" he softly said, eyes fixated on the ground.

"What's your status, Admiral?" Shepard tentatively asked. "What happened?"

"At the moment, I am over Terra Nova with what remains of the Third and Fifth Fleet. I really don't know how to answer your other question, Commander" the old man said. "Some might want to call it a battle, but in all honesty, it was a massacre. The Reapers took us my surprise, Shepard. By the time we realized something was wrong, the Reapers were already over us cutting our ships to pieces. They dropped out of FTL right on our flanks and run us over like we were made of paper. If I hadn't ordered the full retreat right away, we would have suffered many more losses – and that is considering that the Reapers were more interested in destroying Arcturus station than they were in finishing the fleets".

"That bad…?" Shepard mumbled. He knew the answer but to actually hear about it… it was daunting.

"The entire Second Fleet was wiped out at the get-go. The First Fleet isn't answering… but seeing that Earth was attacked… it is safe to assume what happened to it. The Third Fleet only survived because Admiral Nitesh Singh was killed right away – I don't want to sound like a bastard, but I am thankful that happened. Otherwise they would have collapsed trying to defend Arcturus Station under that son of a bitch's command" Hackett heavily reported.

"I take it you never liked Admiral Singh" Shepard commented, forcing a smile. The topic, sadly, was too depressing for any true happiness.

"I never appreciated his ilk within the Alliance" Hackett hissed. "Small talk aside, do you have any status report on Mars?"

"Yes, sir, we actually left there over an hour ago" Shepard answered. "We called for the immediate evacuation of all colonists. The Archives, though… they were attacked – by Cerberus."

"Cerberus?" Hackett frowned, confused. "What's Cerberus doing at the Martian Archives?"

"I'm not sure" Shepard shook his head.

"What about Dr T'soni? Or her work? The last message I've received from her suggested she had found something of value – something about a potential weapon against the Reapers" Hackett wondered.

"She's on board the Normandy – and yes, she did. I'll forward all the data we have but it would appear she found a doomsday device, or at least the schematics for one" the Commander replied.

"And where does Cerberus enter in all of this?" Hackett frowned, confused. "Say what you want about the Illusive Man, he was never stupid or this bold to attack the Alliance directly".

"My best guess is that they were after the Crucible as well" Shepard suggested.

"I'll expect a full report on both Earth and Mars, Commander" the Admiral grunted. "First, however, I want you to go straight to the Citadel. All Alliance higher-ups… the few remaining… will be gathering there to reorganize our forces for this war at the Embassy. As our only expert on the Reapers, I want you there".

"Understood, sir" Shepard saluted.

"And Shepard, consider yourself officially reinstated. Hackett out".


	3. Part I - Chapter 3: Talking War

**Chapter III: Talking War**

The Citadel… the jewel of Galactic civilizations… a lovely trap set in a tangled web of deceit and schemes. Built by the Reapers, the Citadel had been little more than a candle-light left to lure the organic species in. And yet, even if the Citadel was key for the war, the Reapers appeared to be ignoring it entirely. Heck, everything seemed extremely like Shepard's first time by the time he arrived.

Docking the Normandy and walking out, Shepard was not prepared for dozens of humans waiting outside dock. Most were on civilian attire, but there were a good lot that were in uniform. They all had the same horrible face: hopeful dread. That horrible moment where you are desperate to know about someone's situation, but you dread the truth of the matter.

No sooner he was spotted, followed by Ashley and Liara, that he was assaulted by questions.

"Commander Shepard?" "You were on Earth?" "What's going on there?" "Do you know about my son, he was assigned to-?" "My brother, he was an ensign on-"

"Alright, please, quiet down" he softly said.

As expected, the crowd immediately quieted down, all straining to hear the Commander in front of them. To the man's credit, he patiently kept his hands up and looked at them with a soothing face, one that didn't reprimand their outburst. Rather, he showed sympathy, and understanding. It must have been hard on them, after all.

"They say Earth was attacked!" Someone, a woman by the sound of it, cried breaking into tears.

"Yes, Earth has been attacked… by the Reapers" Shepard stated. There was a moment of deathly silence as no one wanted to comment on that. "I am not going to lie to you. Whoever you know that was on Earth by the time of the attack is probably dead… or worse. The Reapers will not allow any ship to leave Earth yet, and by then we better hope no ship does".

"R-Reapers?" Someone stuttered.

"That's nonsense! They don't exist!"

"You must be lying!"

"Commander Shepard is right" Ashley stepped in, looking soberly anxious. "The Reapers… an entire fleet of ships like the one that attacked the Citadel years ago… they are on Earth. Their numbers are in the thousands to the million strong – and they have full control of Earth".

"B-But what do they want?" A man, who was already shedding waterfalls of tears, asked.

"To harvest our civilization" Shepard bluntly declared. "They will not rest until every single and last human being had either been reduced to a Husk or disintegrated to a mere organic mass of liquid flesh – I've seen the process, and I know how it is done".

"But why are they doing this?"

"Can't we talk to them?"

"People, please, I know you are all dying to know more about the situation. I promise every piece of information relating to the Reapers will be given. Right now, however, the Alliance is regrouping and reorganizing to try to fight back" Shepard sighed, almost pleadingly. "there are millions of people that need help, from displaced refugees to injured compatriots. Right now is not the time to lose our heads".

Shepard took a deep breathe. "Stick the people you hold dear in this hard times and see how you can help. We are going to need volunteers, people, if we will ever retake Earth. For the time being, we are doing what we can" Shepard told them.

"Alright, everyone, step aside – go on, move it" a new familiar voice cut in.

The crowd split in two as none other than Captain Bailey marched across, C-Sec officers separating the two groups for the Commander to walk through. The C-Sec Captain seemed rather tired, with bags under his eyes and in the need of coffee. He even looked older than Shepard remembered.

"Shepard, the Council wants to speak with you" Baily explained morosely. To the crowd, he added "move along, people – that's right, move along".

"And they sent you Captain?" Shepard frowned. Last he heard, Bailey was only a Captain of a ward. Why was he showing up in the name of the Council?

"It is Commander now" Bailey muttered, annoyed. "Promoted last week… come on, neither of us wants to leave the Council waiting".

Silently, Shepard and his two companions followed after Bailey as they were escorted to a C-Sec sky-car and flew towards to the Citadel Tower.

"How bad is it?" Bailey asked the Commander, from the co-driver seat, as a fellow officer drove.

"What exactly did you hear?" Shepard queried.

"Nothing, only snippets – that's the worst part. Some hours ago a few people showed up and started screaming about the end of the world and the fall of Earth – no one took them seriously, until their numbers were in the hundreds. It might have been two hours later when rumours started flying around that Earth had been attacked or something. Then word got out there were no communications with Earth, or Arcturus… and - would you know it? - the humans in the Citadel lost their shit" Bailey retold. "Udina did a good job keeping people calm, at least a bit… but you saw them back at the docks – not knowing is driving everyone crazy".

"Wait, there are no other news about the Reapers?" Shepard frowned, taken aback.

"Reapers?" Bailey gasped, shocked. "They are finally here? Damn…"

"Yes, they destroyed Arcturus and took over Earth" Shepard elaborated. "You didn't hear about it? No other place was attacked?"

"We have a few hundred Batarian refugees pouring out of the Terminus spitting drivel about giant monsters, but you never know with Batarians… but no, Commander, no one had any idea the Reapers were around" Bailey explained. "Heck, I don't think anyone will believe it".

"So only Earth has fallen?" Ashley whispered.

"Earth and Karshan" Liara corrected.

"Why? Why are the Reapers attacking Earth alone?" Ashley wondered.

"It is anyone's guess, I suppose" Shepard shrugged, sitting back. "What happened to you, Bailey? Last time I was around you were shouting about making prisoners scream down at Zakera Ward".

Bailey chuckled uncomfortably as the driving officer glanced at him, frowning. The C-Sec Commander cleared his throat.

"Ehm – yeah, I am just as surprised. It was thanks to Udina, mostly" Bailey told Shepard. "I must have been doing something right, or maybe Udina wanted to stick it up to the other Councillors, but he pushed for my promotion. Now I am working as an overrated doorman for politicians half my time and stuck to a chair the rest of it".

The rest of the voyage went in relative silence. The only noise that filled the sky-car was the hum of the engine and the roar of the vehicle cutting through the air. Shepard looked at the Presidium outside, marvelled by its beauty. With an artificial lake, many trees and flora, it was a breath-taking view outside the car. Liara and Ashley watched the scenery, but their attention was elsewhere. Lost in thought, they looked on at the world surrounding them with contemplative gazes.

Here they were, at the peak of galactic civilization, while Earth was under the hands of the Reapers. Shepard really didn't know how to feel about that. It had yet to settle inside, admittedly. He knew in his mind that millions of lives were probably being lost by the minute, or even by the second, and yet, he couldn't feel anything concerning that. He couldn't emphaticize with the situation… who could? Galactic annihilation was beyond anyone's scope. Earth, the home to all humans, had been lost… and he didn't appear to care.

The Commander wondered if, in part, it was due to his upraising. As a spacer, he was unused to solid ground and he didn't really understand the concept of being proud of dirt. Oh, he grasped nationalism and could make a case for it, he just couldn't bring himself to care about one patch of land here over a patch of land there. Was he so emotionally numbed? Had his time out there in the darkness of space fighting horrors steal all compassion from him?

"Are you alright, Shepard?" Liara softly inquired, sounding like the awkward archaeologist Shepard rescued years ago.

The Commander looked deep into her azure eyes, momentarily mesmerized by them. They were pretty, like rare gems. Heck, Liara as a whole was beautiful. Loyal, compassionate and steadfast, she was the ideal person… and yet Shepard could only think about Tali when he looked at Liara's eyes. Was it wrong to think about a woman from another species when his own species was facing massive annihilation?

"Yes" Shepard nodded, tentatively. He shuffled on his seat, suddenly feeling some discomfort. "Just thinking about this war…" it was a lie, one that made him feel guilty for two reasons. One, he knew he should concentrate on the Reapers. And two, he shouldn't be lying to a good friend as Liara.

"It just doesn't – you know – settle. This whole thing, it just… it isn't sticking, you know?" Ashley commented all of a sudden. "Earth… lost…"

"I know how you feel. First time on Earth and I was under house arrest" Shepard snorted derisively. "To think the first moment I was free to leave Alliance HQ was when the Reapers shot the place down".

"Ha, I get you" Ashley chuckled dryly. "Spent months on Earth just training and prepping the Normandy for the Reapers – now I regret not going out, sightseeing some… damn… can you imagine if don't win Earth back?"

"We will get Earth back" Liara confidently declared.

"I hope so" Shepard smiled at the Asari.

* * *

The Council Tower was by no means any less luxurious than the Presidium. Perhaps it was, by far, prettier and mystical, with weird Thessian cherry-like trees with pink leaves. They filled the faint light of the place under a shade of purples that were, to say the least, distracting. Ambassadors and diplomats came and went, but overall, Shepard noticed that aside from some hushed murmurs from humans, little had changed from the last time he had been around… and that had been years before.

When they spotted him, more than one diplomat, human or alien, turned their heads. Many followed his progress, shocked. Other seemed intrigued. Thankfully, the Council was already waiting for them.

Shepard didn't know how to feel about his current predicament. There he was, about to meet with the Council, now that the Reapers – after so much time spent warning everyone – have arrived. Heck, Earth was lost and odds were the billions of people there would not be saved, much less thanks to the Council's inaction. A part of him was resentful at the Council. Another was lost and unsure. On some degree, Shepard understood the Council's scepticism. Huge doomsday machines in dark space coming to wipe out all organic life? Yeah, it was hard to believe, particularly with as little evidence and proof as Shepard had managed to provide. Then again, calling Sovereign a Geth construct was undeniably preposterous and stupid.

And thus, when he walked over the platform, dozens of eyes set on him, as he faced the four Councillors, Shepard did not know what to say. Should he be respectful? Show his scorn? His disdain? He had always dreamed of flipping the bird at them, but he knew how childishly stupid that was… especially now that Shepard needed of all of the Council's support.

"Councillors" Shepard greeted the four representatives of the main galactic species.

"Commander" Councillor Tevos of the Asari nodded at him, her solemn face riddled with no hint of concern or worry. It was the face of an experienced negotiator, a person who could lie, cheat and scheme right in your face and she wouldn't even flinch.

Shepard leant over the railing of the platform, glancing at the gathered audience. He took a deep breath. "I wish I came with better tidings. Earth has fallen… to the Reapers" Shepard announced with a grave tone.

Whispers sprouted all around.

"We have gotten reports about the Battle of Arcturus…" Councillor Sparatus of the Turians said. He looked the most humbled of the four. Udina was outright distraught – a rare sight in Shepard's eyes. "We have yet to get any details on the attack on Earth. You have our condolences".

Shepard felt the urge to flip the bird at that moment. However, he decided to be respectful.

"What can you tell us about the situation on Earth, Shepard?" Udina asked. For once in his life, he sounded… lost, almost agreeable. "How bad is it?"

"As it stands, Earth is completely lost" Shepard replied. He heard the widespread gasps all around. "The Reapers are massive dreadnaughts of utter destruction capable of taking dozens of ships at once – and Earth was never prepared for a full scale invasion of this magnitude. Many nations don't have an army and what few have them tend to be lacking on what came down on them. Moreover, the Reapers brought their own army of transformed corpses, Husks. As how bad it was… alliance Command on Earth was destroyed when they first arrived, and then it was flooded by Husks. The Reapers appear to have targeted all key positions, from space ports to government buildings".

"How did they identify their targets?" Councillor Vallern of the Salarians wondered, taken aback.

"If I had to guess, they connected to the Internet or the Extra-net and got all the data they needed from there. Those targets aren't exactly secret – and Reapers are each a nation worth of brainpower. Still, I wouldn't be surprised if the Reapers could easily hack into Alliance networks and find the location of top secret facilities just as quickly. I don't have many details. By the time they attacked, I was fighting for my life. However, the attack was ruthless and precise. They had won Earth before the first shot was even fired" Shepard explained.

"How can we fight them?" Sparatus queried, looking nervous.

"Technically, any fleet or military could easily bring down a Reaper… in theory. They are, after all, only oversized extremely advanced dreadnaughts hell-bent on galactic extinction – as breakable as one would expect. The destruction of Sovereign proved that much" Shepard offered.

"It took the entire Alliance Fifth Fleet to bring down Sovereign" Vallern pointed out. "And he was just one of these… Reapers".

"You mustn't forget that he wasn't exactly alone either. He had a fleet of Geth ships too, and they had vast improvements over our own forces. Moreover, time has passed. These last years there has been many advancements in weaponry, shields and hull.

"The Turians have developed better, more advanced weaponry since then. The Thanix cannons has over twenty times the punch of the previous main guns. Trust me when I tell you the Thanix cannons can take down a dreadnaught with one shot. The Normandy has already tested its effectiveness – we wouldn't need massive dreadnaught deployments against the Reapers, but rather a large fleet of smaller vessels, manoeuvrable frigates that could deliver precise strong strikes on Reaper dreadnaughts" all eyes went to Sparatus, who seemed surprised by Shepard's knowledge on such prototype technology.

"At the same time, the Quarians have reached new peaks in barrier technology. Cyclonic Barrier Technology – as they call it – allows for frigates and small cruisers to withstand greater damage. While I doubt it will stop a Reaper, it might give frigates a chance to withstand and survive initial engagements – perfect for hit-and-run tactics" Shepard carried on.

"And then there is the secretly developed Asari Silaris Armour, the finest hull plating for any Frigate. It could provide enormous protection against the Reapers either if they try to physically ram into the ships or when they employ their weapons. Like the Thanix cannons and Cyclonic Barrier technology, the Normandy can attest to its effectiveness – again, for frigates. Our best hope against the Reapers is to develop as large a fleet of Frigates with which could be employed in guerrilla warfare. It is thanks to said technology the Normandy made it across the Omega 4 Relay and survive".

There were widespread gasps of shock and surprise (clearly there was still enough room for bewilderment in those politicians). Many wide-eyed onlookers seemed amazed. Only a few seemed sceptical or disbelieving.

"You are suggesting we modify all of our military doctrines, Commander?" Vallern asked.

"If you wish to survive this war… yes" Shepard nodded. "We humans are no strangers to war – if there is one thing we know, is that he who adapts best against the enemy, has the better odds".

"The Turian Fleet is made mostly of dreadnaughts and cruisers, as well as carriers you humans introduced…" Sparatus stated. Differently from other times, there was not bite, no exasperation or flare of anger. There was only hopelessness. "We can't just – just throw them away. It would require a massive shift on everything!"

"You are free to do what you want, Councillor. I am just telling you that if you don't want Palaven to suddenly go dark when the Reapers move in, I suggest you get down to it and pronto" Shepard rebutted politely. "Militarily, I also suggest the mass-production of nuclear weaponry".

Now that suggestion got many gasps of outrage.

"Nuclear weaponry, Commander?" Tevos repeated, baffled. "There is a reason why we don't employ such armaments – the risk on ecosystems are astronomical not to mention the collateral damage involved".

"Trust me, Councillor, the Reapers' influence is just as bad" Shepard countered. "And if the Reapers are on a garden world, killing the Reapers and anyone nearby is an act of mercy".

There was a moment of horrid silence as everyone actually bothered to consider Shepard's words. It was daunting to know no one was fighting the idea of not using nuclear armaments.

"Councillors, the moment to act is now. Alert all colonies of the presence of Reapers, call for a general draft, stock-up supplies and prepare the people. When the Reapers are done with Earth – they will attack your home worlds next… probably Palaven" Shepard remarked.

"Palaven?" Sparatus squawked. "Why are you so sure of that?"

"Karshan was an isolated, easy target. Earth, while not as easy a target, was never ready and was not much more difficult to attack. If the Reapers were to attack and take over Palaven, taking down the Turian fleets with it, the Asari and Salarians, for all their military is worth, would not hope to stand a chance afterwards. The Asari and Salarians, after all, have always needed other species to fight their wars. Without either Krogan or Turians, history tell us both Asari and Salarians will be helpless. As for the Hanar, Elcor, Volus, Drell and other species… we all know neither of them has a strong military to begin with".

The harsh truth seemed to serve as a punch on Tevos who grimaced visibly and Vallern, who seemed thoughtful about it. Some diplomats around seemed somewhat angry about the blatant speciesism.

"Do you think this war can be won?" Udina asked, unsure. "The Protheans were wiped out, and they had much more advanced technology-wise than we do".

"The Protheans, like all cycles before them, were taken by surprise when the Citadel was activated and the Reapers poured through. We, on the other hand, stand a chance. But I see your point. I doubt that even with this new technologies recently developed we can win this… but it could stall the Reapers enough time for…" Shepard glanced at the people watching. He glanced back at Liara, who shook her head "other technologies and tactics to arise".

"You have given us a lot to think about and there are a lot of preparations to be made" Tevos stated. "Meeting adjourned".

"Shepard, meet me at my office… the rest of the Alliance command is there" Udina quickly added to the Commander.

* * *

"Why didn't you tell them about the Crucible?" Ashley asked the Commander as the trio walked across the Citadel tower, onto the long elevator.

"I rather not advertise it in the open, Ash" Shepard replied candidly. "If we are going to build this thing, it will need to be made in secret, or else the Reapers will simply ram its way to it and destroy it completely".

"You fear the Indoctrinated might sabotage the project, don't you?" Liara remarked, leaning back against the elevator's wall.

"Yeah. You yourself said that it would take time to build – chances are that in that time more than a handful people will be indoctrinated and openly assisting the Reapers" Shepard admitted. "Keeping this… project… secret might help us from an indoctrinated agent reporting it to the Reapers, or worse, some naïve idiot uploading all the information on the project on the extra-net for the Reapers to read".

"You can't possibly believe the Reapers are… ehm… surfing the net" Ashley chuckled something her imagination conjured.

"Why not? There are boundless information ripe for the taking there – information that could be instrumental for the Reapers. With it, they could get a grasp of every organic race on the galaxy" Shepard replied.

Ashley was not that amused after that. Liara grimly remained silent. Shepard too took a moment to breathe and muster his bearings. He really didn't know why he had told so much to the Council. As a matter of fact, he hadn't actually thought things through about the Thanix Cannon, the Cyclone Barrier technology and the Silaris armour – or even how good of an idea would be to make a whole fleet of advanced frigates with that to get the Reapers. When the Salarian Councillor had said that their technology had said that the fleets still had substandard technology… it all just popped out in his mind.

The question, however, remained: just how efficient the Thanix Cannons actually were against Reapers? Yes, the Normandy took the collector Dreadnaught with one shot, but that ship might have never really been made for space combat. Well, they were bound to be more efficient than the standard gun, and building more cruisers and dreadnaughts against the Reapers was an utter waste of time, resources and men. For starters, both ship classes lacked mobility – against a Reaper that was a death sentence. Then there was the firepower. True, a Dreadnaught was bound to pack a stronger punch with its main cannon, but the problem was that the Dreadnaught would require first to align the main cannon… what would require time. Moreover, Shepard doubted that the Reaper's hull couldn't take a dreadnaught's barrage head-first – rather, Shepard was of the strong opinion that the Reaper's structural weaknesses happened to be the mobile legs.

The Reaper legs had various interesting functions. Firstly, it allowed the Reapers to land on planets without pretty much stepping on everything and thus killing the ones to be harvested. Some of the legs also had the Reaper weird guns that acted like lasers, red beams of destruction erupting from their ends. Finally, the legs allowed them to attach onto things, like Sovereign did to the Citadel tower. Being mobile parts, it stands to reason that they are also the weakest part as they were separate from the main body, particularly at the joints. If you could take the Reaper's legs, you pretty much made it unable to land, fire back or effectively harvest. It would still be able to ram ships, but if the only targets available were agile Frigates…

The human embassy was, much to Shepard's dismay, pure chaos. At least a hundred people were outside, demanding information, action or just something. Many a tearful person was asking if there were news, were there any refugees or evacuated people. C-Sec had a strong presence around, trying to disperse the crowd, while Alliance Marines struggled to kick people from just charging in. Many a journalist were hanging around, reporting on the commotion.

Thankfully Shepard managed to go unnoticed by the crowd and was immediately granted access through, much to people's outrage. Inside, sadly, wasn't any better. Officials and personnel came and went, all sweating and puffing with exhaustion, working tireless to do this or that. Shepard also noticed the heavy presence of Alliance Marines, posted on different corners or just standing grimly around. Some soldiers were even moving heavy looking crates.

"Seems that the Alliance is holing itself here" Ashley commented as the group ignored the commotion around them and went to the nearest available elevator.

"The Alliance probably doesn't have anywhere else to store the ammunition or weapons – they probably don't know what to do with it. If push comes to shove, it might be better to go back to pre-thermo clip weapons. I doubt we will be able to keep our supply lines running in this war, and seeing how our factories might be hit at any time, it's better if we could make each unit independent of ammo" Shepard grimaced.

"But that would reduce the damage output" Ashley frowned.

"A gun is a gun" Shepard sighed. "And you forget the weapon mods – instead of mass-producing thermos-clips we should dedicating ourselves to mods and the previous models of guns, like the advanced illegal mods that could pretty much turn someone to a crisp".

"I see great wisdom in that" Liara admitted. She looked at Shepard whose imposing frame made people scurry away from their path. "You seem to be taking the role of War leader pretty well, Shepard".

Shepard had to admit she was right. Thinking about preparations, the war efforts and strategies just came forth in his head like it was second-nature to him… but that had been his career so far. Heck, the Omega Four relay mission had been just that: planning, preparing and putting all effort into the best outcome. From making sure each squad mate had the best weapon suitable for him or her to guaranteeing their loyalty, Shepard had always been good at leading. However, he didn't think that a massive war of the scale that would be like with the Reapers was anything anyone, including him, was prepared for.

The three reached Udina's office quickly enough. Guarded by six muscular men, they were quick to step aside when they saw Shepard. The six, however, did not allow Liara and Ashley through.

"Sorry, only the Commander is allowed in" the leader of the marines, a burly dark-skinned fellow, politely told the two females.

"Yeah, yeah" Ashley muttered, shaking her head.

"But we have vital information…" Liara insisted.

"I can forward the details to command, Liara" Shepard told the asari. "And right now, I think they are at an all-time high in paranoia – let's not test their patience". Liara reluctantly nodded.

"We should go back to the Normandy… make sure it is well supplied and all" Ashley decided. "What about the prisoner, Shepard?"

"I want to talk to her before we hand her over" Shepard decided. "Until then, make sure she doesn't even flinch without anyone knowing".

"Aye, aye" Ashley nodded. "Good luck in there, Skipper".

Liara offered a kind tender smile of her own. "Yes, Commander, I hope you are successful with your people's leaders…" And with that, she joined Ashley further back as Shepard, taking a deep breath, went into the Ambassador's office.

It was, to say the least, rather different to the rest of the Embassy. Where people were moving, crying and rather fearful, the air, tone and mood inside of the office was… it was heavy. There was a sense, a feeling, of defeat pervading every inch – you could actually smell the sweat of battle, the post-battle odour and the stench of expensive cologne. Then there was the space. While the rest of the Embassy was relatively crowded, the office was… spacious. Seven people were gathered there, all sitting across some couches, stiffly staring at a small project device between them.

Shepard recognized a few of the people there. Councillor Udina, in its now despondent and dismal demeanour glumly stared into the projected screen. Admiral Hackett was the only one standing, facing the balcony, smoking. Shepard had admittedly no idea the old grizzled man had such habit. Then there was Admiral Mikhailovich. Now there was a face hard to forget… as well as an attitude that went with the rest.

"Shepard" Udina grimly nodded at the newcomer. The seated group all stood up, looking rather morose and despondent. "I suppose you have yet to meet Rear Admiral Benedetto" he gestured to what could only be described as the manliest woman Shepard had ever seen. "Admiral Herlein" whereas Benedetto was as wide as a body-builder, Herlein was like a scarecrow by comparison. There was muscle and a good body, but he was just not what Shepard expected a genetically-enhanced marine to look like. "And finally Admiral Lopez" he gestured to an Italian looking man.

"This bad, huh?" Shepard sighed as he nodded respectfully at the gathered military, who went back to sitting.

"We are all that managed to make it here" Udina corrected. "There are many scout Flotillas holding their position over our colonies – thankfully, most of the Alliance military is holding up. Without the bulk of our fleets, slavers and pirates might be bold enough to try something".

"What's the status on our colonies?" Shepard inquired, moving an empty chair nearby over to the group.

"So far, so good – none of our colonies have reported a hint of the Reapers" Udina grumbled "but we are facing some…" he eyed the other humans in the room "complications at the time".

"Cerberus" Hackett gruffly scoffed, turning around. That word alone caught Shepard's attention. "They have pretty much taken over almost half of our colonies – mostly the ones on the Traverse" he added.

"More like those traitors gave themselves to Cerberus" Benedetto spat. She glared at Shepard "that is thanks to you".

"Pointing fingers will get us nowhere" Udina sighed tiredly. "Right now, we are dealing with the most disastrous situation imaginable to start bickering between each other".

"Hold on, what do you mean by that?" Shepard squinted at the female Admiral.

"Your actions against the Collectors boosted Cerberus' popularity to an unexpected degree – at the moment, entire colonies are declaring their allegiance to Cerberus and ignoring us" Hackett carefully explained. "The Alliance greatly underestimated how disfranchised most colonists were with the Parliament, or the Alliance as a whole, and now that Earth has fallen and there is a visibly threat in the horizon, Cerberus has taken an active role in making tall promises to whoever joins their ranks".

"Guns, ships, soldiers and military support" Herlein shook his head, displeased. "If our reports are correct, thousands of colonists are enlisting to Cerberus – more than they are to the Alliance".

"We have also gotten word of some disturbing news" Mikhailovich muttered, glaring at the projection. "Cerberus has apparently been holding back on us. According to our intelligence, Cerberus seemed to be amassing a fleet – our sources are unable to point where the shipyards are, but we are getting staggering numbers of element zero shipments, metals and electronics disappearing somewhere in the Traverse".

"On Mars, Cerberus also showed up with its own trained set of soldiers" Shepard retold, humming in thought. "They managed to wipe out the entire Alliance unit there by the time I got there".

"We can all easily assume Cerberus must be enhancing their soldiers with illegal technology" Hackett concluded. "I have had similar reports of Cerberus strike teams moving around different colonies".

"Where the hell could the Illusive Man get so much power so quickly?" Shepard wondered. It wasn't like there was an entire colony of factories ready to throw themselves behind Cerberus, right? Or maybe there was… you never kenw with the Illusive Man.

"Your guess is as good as ours" Hackett grunted. "The Illusive Man, however, has been most reluctant to open communications with us… although at least we are grateful he hasn't repeated anything as bold as on Mars. Attacking a research facility like he did…"

"We can't fight two wars, much less one against the Reapers" Mikhailovich growled. "And the Illusive Man is just stealing resources from us".

"Have the Reapers shown up elsewhere?" Shepard queried.

"That's the strange part – for the time being they seem to be concentrating on Karshan, batarian colonies and Earth" Udina explained. "There had been some elusive reports of what could be Reapers, but they aren't anything conclusive".

"That's good… and bad" Shepard offered.

"At the moment, I don't see what is so bad of a contained Reaper threat. We know where we are, our colonies are temporarily safe and all we need to focus is on arming up" Herlein remarked.

"You miss the point here. Most of the galaxy, the people on other planets… they have no idea what a Reaper even is. Heck, there might even be some who will think that they are just a new rogue species like the Rachni, or some type of Krogan lookalike. Pirates and slavers on the Terminus might think it is the ideal moment to strike – hell, without gathered good footage of them we might have people who won't take this threat as seriously as we should" Shepard clarified. "Moreover, we want the Reapers to disperse their influence across various worlds. One alone is a humongous dreadnaught, we can't do anything if they are all together – that and we would be able to actually gather more intel on them, like where to hit them under contained scenario or investigate their behaviour".

The gathered people all traded surprised expressions. They hadn't thought about that clearly.

"Shepard is right. However, Commander, we need this respite" Hackett said. "With this moment of relief we need to prepare for the Reapers' next attack. We heard your assessment on the Council chamber and I am inclined to believe your strategy might be the most beneficial and maybe our only opportunity… though acquiring the technology you mentioned might be an entirely different story".

"I've got the schematics on the Normandy, sir" Shepard told the grizzled man. "There is another thing that I might have not mentioned at the Council… mostly because it is best to try to keep this a secret. Liara T'soni, the asari archaeologist allowed into the Mars Archives… she found the schematics for a weapon – a device actually – that could, in theory, be the key to the Reapers' destruction".

Shepard linked his omni-tool to the projector and showed the Crucible's form.

"What? From the Archives? We would have seen something like that already, right?" Mikhailovich spluttered.

"It has a component missing, something called the Catalyst" Shepard carried on. "Technically, by what we have gathered so far, this thing should concentrate and discharge a massive energy pulse. How it will be directed against the Reapers… that's unknown".

"And you are telling… you can't possibly suggest we waste resources on this!" Herlein exclaimed.

"I agree" Mikhailovich nodded. "We barely have enough to rebuild our fleets, arm our colonies and prepare for what is yet to come. If we through anything at this it could hamper our future efforts".

"I don't see how we are going to win this conventionally" Benedetto sighed, shaking her head. "But I don't like it either… much less without even knowing what or how it does what you say it does".

"The proportions are on point, Shepard?" Udina's surprised voice trembled, almost fearful. "This thing is too big to build in time. It might take a year, or more – and I doubt we could keep it a secret from the Reapers".

"What's your opinion on this, Shepard?" Hackett wondered, as he stared onto the hologram.

All eyes were set on him, curious to know what the Commander would say.

"Sincerely, I share your doubts. I don't think it is wise to concentrate so much of our efforts on one project, one that will be a sitting duck for the Reapers to destroy at the last minute, especially when we don't even have any idea what it does, how it does it and what the last missing component is and, better question, if we could get it in time to make this Crucible work" Shepard confessed.

"Right now, I would feel safer if we could prepare our people to the next Reaper move. We should be concentrating on mass producing the old guns that didn't need thermos clips, with many of the mods that were deemed illegal by the Council, and piling them up for our colonists and soldiers. Next, we should be training every man, woman and, heck, child included, for this war. Safe bases should be established, parallel to each other, for our colonists to retreat if the Reapers do show up. We need to multiply our current production of military supplies many times over, as well as our shipyards.

"That being said, this Crucible might be our only hope, regardless how remote…" Shepard explained.

The meeting was suddenly interrupted by a loud beep. Udina looked down on his omni-tool.

"It would appear Primarch Fedorian has called for a War summit" Udina informed his compatriots. "Councillor Sparatus also wants to speak with Shepard… something about a proposal".

Shepard grimaced. "It better be good" he muttered.


	4. Chapter 4: Tight Spots and Vast Space

**Chapter IV: Tight Spots and Vast Space**

Garrus Vakarian was not what you would call superstitious. Did he believe in the Spirits? Of course he did. His family has pretty much ingrained the belief in him. He might not be a good turian behaviour-wise, but he was a good son. Then again, if he hadn't taken his father's suggestion to serve as some kind of Reaper expert he wouldn't be in his current predicament. As it was, he was starting to think Fate – that deity Shepard appeared to believe in if he wasn't mistaken – wanted to screw him over as much as it did Shepard. The difference was that, differently from Shepard, Garrus wasn't so sure he could survive this experience.

When his father had managed to convince the Primarch to create a task force to prepare against the Reapers, Garrus had jumped at the opportunity. He hadn't expected to be dragged out of Palaven one day, loaded into the flagship of a small flotilla, and accompany a whole military force to intercept an unidentified enemy. The fact he was being forced into the operation made it obvious who the Hierarchy guessed this "unidentified" enemy was. How the Hierarchy came to admit there were Reapers? Now that was left unanswered.

Why had they even bothered dragging him over, anyway? The Admiral in charge of the flotilla, Kantus, hadn't even asked Garrus' opinion about the engagement. Had it been to Garrus, though, he would have suggested a full retreat. You don't 'engage' with Reapers unless you had a death wish – not without ten Dreadnaughts backing you up, that is. As it was, they didn't even have one on their small force.

In the end, Garrus' instincts had been right: they intercepted Reapers. What followed was playbook tragedy. Garrus had to drag himself next to a fallen comrade to the nearest escape pod as the flagship was cut to pieces within minutes of the initial engagement. As he navigated the burning ship, the shaking surroundings and ignored the cries of help to the best of his ability, using all his strength to save the fellow turian on his shoulders, Garrus could only think about Shepard. Had this been like how he had felt when the Collectors attacked the Normandy?

Thankfully, Garrus made it to the pod. He, alongside three other fellow soldiers, reached it just in time for the hull to collapse under the stress of a breach and the ship to be torn to smithereens. Garrus' luck took a turn for the worse when the escape-pod made a direct route to the unknown moon the skirmish had taken over. It was as the escape-pod shook and he calmly glared at his feet, fastened to his seat, that he wondered if the Reapers hadn't tricked the turians into an engagement… The moon had been the perfect spot to conceal an extra pair of Reaper dreadnaughts while the main force engaged with the one they first encountered, so strategically it made sense. Why was he having such thoughts when his pod was heading to barren land and an easy picking for the Reapers? Well, maybe it was Garrus good old cynicism kicking in, or just his curiosity.

Crashing on a planet had been quite the ride, one Garrus somehow related to the MAKO drops when he was a rather stubborn C-Sec detective working under the first Human Spectre. If anything, he wished he had dropped on a MAKO. As it was, he was, with four other turians, trapped within the pod. That and it would have meant he had been with Shepard. Spirits knew that that human could get them out of any debacle.

"Spirits… what are those things?" One of the soldiers, a young trainee by the looks of it, wondered as he looked from the pod's small window at the entrance.

"Reapers" Garrus replied as he tended to the wounded turian on the seat next to his. She was a female, older or just his own age, and he was clad with weird black armour he didn't recall other units using… a Cabal perhaps?

There was a moment of silence where the three soldiers processed what he had just been told. Meanwhile, Garrus was growing worried. He didn't have medi-gel on him and this female looked like she had cracked a plate badly. She wasn't bleeding, what was good… but the bleeding could be internal… what was bad.

"Any of you carry medi-gel?" He asked. It was obvious they wouldn't. Who expected to have medi-gel on a ship? The engagement had also been too sudden to prepare.

"Negative" they replied.

Garrus' cheeks flapped with frustration against his sharp teeth. What could they do? Garrus closed his eyes, thinking. He was isolated, away from anyone else…

"We should activate the emergency beacon" one of the soldiers suggested, staring at Garrus. The three probably had noticed he was the eldest, and also wearing the attire of a superior officer. It was expected of them to follow his lead.

"Negative, it will draw the Reaper to us" Garrus quickly said. "Try to open a close-range com. There might be another escape-pod nearby".

One of the soldiers did just that.

"Urgh…" the female turian groaned in agony.

"Easy there" Garrus told her as he pulled her out of her seat and onto the floor, carefully laying her over. She growled, her cheeks slamming against the sides of his teeth with annoyance. Females didn't like males touching them, after all.

"Spirits" she muttered, glaring at Garrus. "My biggest mistake… coming back to the military".

Garrus chuckled. "I can relate" he told her. "Recently reinstated" he added.

"Likewise" she offered a smile of her own, before growling, this time in pain. "Mercenary?" She asked, wheezing with pain.

"Nah, more of a vigilante badass" Garrus huffed with humour. Ah, the kind of things you learned from humans: At the worst of times it is never too late to crack a joke or two. "Spent some time in Omega. Ever heard of Archangel?" That might be his best pickup line in existence. If he was going to die with some Reaper crashing over his pod or worse, then he might as well use it now.

"YOU are Archangel?" She asked, surprised. She forced a smile, at least the turian equivalent. "Spirits… this is a small galaxy, isn't it? I was on Omega back the day – a freelancer of sorts. Thought you were killed".

Garrus chuckled. "Stories of my death were greatly exaggerated" he remarked. Garrus had to thank Shepard for that one. "I did, however, take a missile to the head".

"So that explains the badass scars" the turian female teased.

"Really? No joke about which side got the missile? I guess I am too used to humans and their sense of humour" Garrus's mandibles quivered with amusement.

"Humans?" She inquired.

"Yeah, the Normandy's crew" Garrus sighed.

"Normandy, as in Commander Shepard's ship?" One of the soldiers asked, surprised.

"Ah, so you have heard about it" Garrus smiled at the kid – Spirits, he wasn't that old yet to start calling younger men kids! The female, however was a bit amazed by the news. "It was Shepard who showed up to pretty much save my behind from three mercenary groups that had banded together to kill me – I might have managed on my own, of course, but Shepard likes to steal the attention".

"So you are Garrus Vakarian" the female smirked (or its turian equivalent).

"And here I was trying to stay anonymous" Garrus grinned at the female.

"Nyreen Kandros" the female introduced herself, sitting up. She winced, a hand moving over to the broken part of her side. "The hierarchy speaks highly of you" she muttered, sounding as if she was in terrible agony. "Shouldn't we try doing something?"

"No, right now, we act as we are dead" Garrus shook his head. "Anything?" He turned to the youngster trying to patch up a link.

"Nothing, it is as if…" the one soldier with his omni-tool activated started saying.

"We are being jammed" Garrus growled, with more fear than anger. "There is a Reaper nearby".

"What exactly is a Reaper?" Kandros asked, eyes squinted as she struggled with the pain.

"Colossal Titan scum that wipe out all organic life once every fifty thousand years" Garrus replied offhandedly. "Remember the Battle of the Citadel over three standard years ago? Sovereign was one of them". He looked up at the ceiling, as if he could actually see a Reaper nearby if he tried. "But what are they doing here? And now of all times? Doesn't make sense…"

"Wipe out all organic life?" Kandros spluttered.

"Yeah, remember the Protheans? Ever wondered how a successful civilization like theirs disappeared without a trace? Well, there you have it: Reapers" Garrus hummed.

"Spirits" Kandros swore. "I knew I should have stayed in Omega…"

"Why didn't you?" Garrus, intrigued, asked.

"The Terminus systems are in some kind of inner conflict, a mess worse than usual – it sounded like chaos, like some civil war was going on. I heard horrible tales of battle yet nothing happened. I suppose I grew restless. I couldn't sit around while innocent people suffered" Nyreen grumbled. She hissed in pain, making Garrus worry that she was getting worse. "That and I wanted to leave Omega… personal reasons."

Garrus slowly nodded. He looked at the still sitting, anxious looking young soldiers. While they were pulling a brave face, it was clear the unknown was grating on their patience. As predators, Turians weren't that good without having their focus on something, either prey or danger. Stuck there, feeling their impending doom and not sensing it? It was probably driving their instincts into overdrive.

"Alright, everyone. We need to conserve our oxygen. It might be a few hours before anyone shows up…" Garrus mentally added the 'if anyone shows up'. "You know the drill". The soldiers nodded with determination. He turned to Nyreen, who looked sleepy. "How long can you hold on?" He inquired.

"Doesn't seem that bad… just a broken plate" Nyreen muttered.

Garrus nodded. He wasn't so sure about that but would have to believe her. Thus, he went over to his seat, wondering what the future had in store for him. As protocol dictated, he started taking soothing breaths, calming his heartbeat and, closing his eyes, forced himself into a meditative state, a trance of sorts. Mentally, he started praying to the Spirits…

"-ISht – psht – receive thi – shtp"

Garrus snapped his head at one of the soldiers, who stared at his omni-tool, surprised. Apparently, they were receiving a communication channel from someone. He blinked a couple of times, wondering if he had fallen asleep.

"Clear the message" Garrus ordered. The soldier with the activated omni-tool nodded hastily before doing so. Garrus glanced at Nyreen, who was awake, if not somewhat pained on the floor.

"- this is General Victus. Does anyone read?!"

"Give me that" Garrus ordered the soldier. "This is Vakarian here. What's your status?"

"Vakarian? Spirits… we are on an escape pod, on the white moon's surface… we are being overrun by these creatures outside. I think they are trying to force their way in" The distressed General informed Garrus.

"What do they look like? Are they human with glowing blue cybernetics?" Garrus asked.

"How did- ? Yes, they are exactly that! We need someone to assist us or they will break in and expose use to vacuum space. How the hell are they even alive out there?" Victus cried out.

"They are Husks… they are already dead, General" Garrus grunted, reminded of those monsters.

"I don't care what their name is! There are ten turians here. Unless you do something, we are all going to die" Victus replied.

Garrus looked at the soldiers. They didn't have space suits on. Neither did Nyreen. He couldn't actually open the pod's door without killing them. Where was Shepard to make the tough choices? Or come with a crazy plan? His eyes looked around for an answer. What would Shepard do right now?

 _A good commander keeps an eye on his surroundings_ , a familiar voice echoed in the turian's head. It was the sagely voice of Garrus' good human friend. Indeed, his surroundings… Garrus looked around once again. This time, keeping his mind open for anything that could be of use. He didn't need much time, though, as they landed on Kandros, or rather her armour. If his suspicions were right…

"Hold on tight, I'm on my way" he told the General. He quickly turned to Nyreen. "Kandros, are you a biotic?"

The female turian nodded, struggling to sit up. "I am the only one with a space suit right now and I need to go to rescue the general and his men… but I will need to open the door" he told her.

Nyreen caught on quickly enough. "You want me to make a barrier strong enough to protect us from vacuum until you are out" she concluded. Garrus nodded. Nyreen's face hardened. "I've got this" she said with a nod.

Garrus went over to the escape pod's door, putting his helmet on and drawing his sniper rifle out (he rarely ever left without it). "You three, stay at the back". The soldiers did as instructed, moving as far away as possible from the door while Nyreen glared at the door. "Bring the barrier now!" He yelled at the female turian.

Nyreen extended her hands and, with a lot of agony, managed to create a purple wall of energy in between him and her. Garrus opened the door forcing the emergency exit, suddenly feeling the shift around him, and hoped out of the pod, closing the door immediately after wards. Through the small window on the door, he looked at Nyreen, their eyes met for a brief moment as she panted heavily, looking extremely worn out. A moment of understanding went through them: "stay safe" were the unsaid words.

Garrus was in a hurry to find Victus' pod. He followed the source of the channel, but he quickly discovered he didn't need to. Across the empty barren white rocky surface of the moon, Garrus discovered that he could follow Victus' emergency beacon. The general had clearly activated it without realizing he had put his people in danger. Then again, Victus didn't know how Reapers operated… heck, Garrus didn't know either. It was a guess that the Reapers could detect distress beacons.

Alone, with his trusty sniper rifle, Garrus carefully trotted through the landscape. It was weird the weightlessness he felt. The gravity was much less than that of Palaven… or the ship, and yet he hadn't realized until after he had left the pod. He shook his head, concentrating on his breathing. He had to concentrate.

Garrus didn't know how long it took. With mounds and small craters, the place was as desolate as any place could be. At his current pace, he was at least hopeful. However, as he neared the distress signal, he realized he would be facing another problem. There were husks attacking Victus. At the time, he hadn't really bothered to ask but… just how many of them were there?

He studied his rifle. He had only enough for seven shots. Assuming he didn't miss… No, Garrus doubted there would be only seven Husks. He closed his eyes, realizing he probably was walking towards his death… from waiting patiently for a Reaper to finish him with a relatively attractive female to walking over to a painful death… just Garrus' luck. Or maybe it was Shepard rubbing off on him. That human had a lot of good luck at times and bad luck other times. The bastard.

Garrus looked up at the darkness surrounding him. Everything was dark, as if night had fallen on the moon. Technically it was night, he guessed. Or he was on the dark side of the moon? The only thing he had with him was his flashlight, and that wasn't enough to dispel the scary nature of the place. Worse yet was knowing that up there, in the darkness, might be a Reaper… another Sovereign, looming over. The thought was enough to make his blood chill.

"Happy thoughts, Garrus, happy thoughts" he muttered to himself. "How much I wish I had a gun to calibrate right now…"

He climbed a small hill and then, over it, he saw a light far away. He aimed the sniper rifle, using its scope. It was weird being unable to get it closer to his face, the visor of his helmet blocking him, yet it was enough. There, the Husks were easy to spot with their glowing cybernetics… all twenty three of them.

"Crap" Garrus grunted. And here he was, on yet another moral choice. Should he try to save Victus? Technically, he had to. However, by sheer numbers, it was obvious he wouldn't be able to kill all the Husks… meaning no matter how much he tried, the Husks would still overrun the pod. He wasn't made for that kind of choices! He couldn't ignore fellow turians in need of help! But what was the point of risking his life if it would be for nothing?

"What in the name of the spirits would Shepard do?" He asked to himself. He grimaced. "The most ridiculously crazy stunt and save the day… and look good while at that. The bastard. He makes it look easy".

Garrus looked down at his feet, spotting his knife. Why all turians carried one of them on? Well, the saying was you never know when you will need a knife over a talon. Well, it was time to do something dramatically stupid. He knelt and carefully took away, while with one hand he put each thermo-clip in front of him, for easier pick up.

"Victus, you there?" Garrus asked.

"Where are you?! They are almost breaching the hull!" Came the response.

"I am here" Garrus sighed. "Here goes nothing…" He pressed the trigger. SPLAT. The glowing eyes of one of those husks distorted as the head blew up.

" _That will kill two birds with one stone…_ " Shepard's words echoed across Garrus' head. The turian laughed at the human quote, only for his eyes to widen. "Two birds… one stone…" Wide-eyed, he studied the Husks, whose attention had turned to him, if the amount of glowing pairs of blue eyes were anything to go by. He smirked. "Spirits be damned, Shepard, you really are rubbing off on me…"

As Garrus predicted, the Husks made it almost too easy for him as they actually lined up as they charged over to his position. He waited a bit for them to form a perfect line and… BAM. Garrus reloaded, not bothering to check how many he had gotten with one shot. He looked through the scope and repeated the process.

And then the weapon overheated. Garrus reached out to grab an available thermo-clip, only for his hands to touch hard rock. He looked down, shocked. He had run out. Looking at the incoming Husks, they were already too close for him to bother with the scope. There were five remaining… five too many.

Garrus pulled out his knife. He was about to drop his sniper-rifle when he thought otherwise. Instead, he sheathed the knife and took hold of the rifle as a club. Humans and their creativity… it pained him he was going to use his beloved rifle like this…

"Come on, you bastards!" Garrus growled.

The first husk came from his right, jumping at him. He slammed the creature's head with the rifle's butt, sending him back. By then the next one was upon him. He used the barrel and shoved it onto the Husk's mouth like a spear. It got stuck on his mouth, so he released his hold of it. Garrus then grabbed his knife. In the nick of time, he was able to unsheathe it and stabbed upwards as a third Husks jumped over to him. The fourth Husk was too close, though, and swiped at him before the turian could pull out his knife.

Garrus dodged it and used the dead Husk as a meat-shield, kicking it over the fourth Husks and sending it tumbling back. The fifth husk was the luckiest of the bunch, getting the jump on him. He turned to face the foe but by then it was over him. The Husk clinged onto him and swiped. Garrus felt something puncture and desperation got the best out of him. With his training kicking in, he blocked the Husk's swiped with one hand and, using the right hand without his knife, grabbed the other hand. Before the Husk could react, he head-butted the bastard. A crack formed on the visor (tough son-of-a-bitch) but overall did the trick. The Husk sprawled backward, disoriented, as Garrus stood up, grabbing his knife.

An alert sign popped on the HUD, signalling he was losing oxygen. He activated his omni-tool and thanked the fact it was a small hole that was easy to fix with omni-gel. The first, fourth and fifth husks, however, were still alive and kicking. Garrus dodged the slash from the first Husk that had come at him and stabbed, with precision, from below the Husk' chin upwards. He used the corpse of the dead husk like another meat-shield as he held it by the neck with one hand, covering him from the two other Husks left standing.

By then, the two remaining Husks appeared somewhat cautious… and odd thing, really. Garrus didn't like it. They stepped back, growling at him in the vacuum of space, and started walking one on each side of him. Ah great, it seemed that the Husks could employ simple tactics… oh, joy. Like hungry Varren, they prowled. Then they attacked.

Garrus threw the dead Husk on his left hand to the incoming enemy on his left and went towards his right. The Husk jumped at him, and he ducked. Almost comically, the Husk underestimated the lower gravity of the world and actually started flying off towards its comrade, which had managed to shake the corpse off. Garrus started running away from the two Husks.

He panted. His breath was heavy… but he couldn't stop. He glanced backwards, two pair of glowing blue eyes following close behind him. Worse yet, they were catching up. It might have been a scene worthy of a comic-human movie, now that he thought about it. A turian, running from two husks… from a distance it must have looked hilarious…

Garrus halted over the top of another small hill, feeling his lungs burning. The two Husks broke pursuit, and once again surrounded him cautiously. Garrus did not like this new thing about them learning. The Husks patiently waited as the turian struggled to keep himself from falling over with tiredness.

 _Any regrets, Garrus?_ He asked himself as the two Husks hunched over, growling in preparation to pounce at the sole turian. _Yeah…_ he told himself, _having never found that one special turian… or human… or Quarian_. It was only then that Garrus came to terms that Shepard really had rubbed off a lot on his turian friend.

"Shepard, I'm sorry I won't see this Reaper invasion through with you" Garrus wheezed, preparing for the Husks.

Then the Husks lunged at him. Garrus dodged the swipe coming from the right and stabbed. He got the Husk with one hit on the side of the head. However, the other husk got his hit, landing razor sharp claws on his back, on his neck more precisely, causing a dangerous slash through the material. Even with air escaping through the gap, he pressed on, turning around and finishing the final Husk with a glorious roar.

"Spirits" Garrus mumbled, starting to feel the effects of oxygen deprivation. He was losing focus, and his suit wasn't reacting. The gap was too large. He needed to manually seal it… He activated his omni-tool, selected the omni-gel option - _Spirits, my dad would be rightfully pissed if I die like this_ \- moved the glowing device over the nape of his neck - _what would Solanas say, though?_ – and sprayed omni-gel all over. With exhorbitant effort, he managed to glue the large hole together and seal it.

Garrus unceremoniously fell onto the ground. Suddenly feeling solid ground all too welcoming…

"Vakarian? Vakarian? Are you there? Vakarian?!"

"Sir…?" Garrus mumbled. Why was the world spinning? Had he just dozed off? How long had he been there, on the alien ground?

"There you are, what's your status? Did you deal with the hostiles?" The general inquired.

"The – hostiles?" Garrus frowned, starting to forget everything that had just happened. "Yes" he scrunched his face, concentrating hard. "They – they" he wheezed, desperate for a breath-full of fresh air that just wasn't there. "They are – are… dead…"

"Vakarian…" the voice was now gentler, almost sympathetic.

"Puncture… suit… sealed…" Garrus wheezed, words swimming at the brink of consciousness. "Lost too much… air for suit to-…"

"Just hold on there, soldier" Victus commander. "You did a great job, Vakarian".

Garrus smiled as he slowly closed his eyes. He really needed just to... And the world shook all over.

"What was that?! A quake?!"

Garrus frowned, glaring at the sky, only to gasp in horror. Over him, looming over, was a giant red eye… one that was charging up a laser beam. The red eye was enough to tell Garrus a Reaper, one smaller than Sovereign, was standing just over him. To say that it was like facing a nightmare was an understatement. Garrus felt his entire body shake as the thing roared loudly, demanding him to be afraid of it. Garrus obliged.

 _Well, I'll be damned_ , Garrus swore. He should have known better… after everything he had just done… it was for nothing. If he had stayed at the pod with Nyreen… He closed his eyes, defeated. It was too much expecting things would go as planned…

The world shook again and Garrus was covered by the shockwave of an explosion, pressing him down as something blew up – big time – somewhere close. He tentatively, and weakly, looked up, seeing the Reaper tumble back as something flew overhead… a blue flash sweeping in. The small Reaper roared – almost sounding offended – and changed its target.

"What is happening?!" Victus outraged voice rang across Garrus' head. Couldn't he keep it down?

Another moon-shaking explosion. This time, the Reaper screeched, almost as if in agony, as a blue something hit what Garrus only managed to make out in the brief moment of lightning a leg. The Reaper answered shooting its red beam at the offender. A thunder deafened Garrus as something swept almost scathing him. He looked up as the Reaper shot again… under the red light, he saw it: a bird like shape… an angel, perhaps? It turned around and shot another blue lightning, making the Reaper screech again in agony.

By the way the world shook, the Reaper was stumbling back – almost pathetically as if wounded. It was in the air… the fear of a lesser god pervading the surface of that moon – Garrus relished in it. The flying attacker rose high over the moon. Four pair of purple engine outlet easy to follow in the dark, only for it to spin around, aiming its body towards the Reaper head-first. Like a magnificent air predator, the flying attacker – the nightmare of the dark gods - flew downwards, releasing another deadly stream of blue power and finishing the Reaper, which gave off another painful screech before it burst into red lighting and debris, as a last reminded of what it had once been. By then, Garrus knew he was dreaming… a dead, Reaper… huh. Shepard would never believe him…

He dozed off, a smile on his face. There was hope. There was bloody hope in the galaxy… a dead Reaper… huh… darkness filled his vision, only for him to regain it.

Garrus must have been really delirious by then, because he could have sworn he saw Shepard – recognizable in his N7 Armour, standing over him. Even with his helmet, Garrus could imagine a teasing smirk behind that visor. The bastard…

"Come on, you lazy turian arse, let's get you home" Shepard's voice was just like he remembered, even muffled by the communication link. Spirits if Garrus wasn't thankful that that insufferable human had a good timing…

* * *

"An actual Reaper…" Admiral Hackett said softly, disbelieving. He shook his head, amazed. "Is your report accurate, Commander? The Normandy was able to beat down a Destroyer class Reaper?"

Shepard nodded, arms folded. He, however, wasn't that amazed. "Still, sir, I wouldn't put that much thought about it. These Destroyer class Reapers are smaller than our cruisers – ground defences could take it down just as well".

"It is not the scale of the battle that surprises me, Commander" the grizzled man admitted as the hologram quivered for a moment. "It is the effectiveness of the Normandy. You have just vindicated your point on the Thanix Cannon being efficient against these monstrosities. While I doubt you will be able to take down the Sovereign Class Reapers on our own… it is feasible that the feat could be scaled up with better, modified Thanix weaponry and more coordinated strikes".

"The Normandy's weapons could do with upgrades" Shepard admitted. "Still…" he folded his arms, unsure on how to bring forth the topic he wanted to discuss. "What do you think about my view of this skirmish?"

"I agree completely. Even Mikhailovich is of the same opinion" Hackett grimly nodded, looking somewhat distraught. "It doesn't make sense for the Reapers to expose themselves the way they did, or even lure turian forces into engaging like it happened. The way they left one of their own behind – one of their smaller types at that– looks as more of a strategic disaster, a weird mistake, than anything else".

"Unless they wanted to test the turian military?" Shepard offered.

"It might have been the case. After all, you did make a point that the defeat of Sovereign gave us one hell of a chance to prepare better for the Reapers. The Reapers could be acting cautious… that really bothers me" Hackett sighed wearily. "That aside, what's that status of General Victus?"

"A bit surprised that Primarch Fedorian chose him to represent the Hierarchy at the war summit, but understanding at the same time. He is a bit… shaken" Shepard reported.

"That's to be expected. Turians would have never dreamed of an entire flotilla getting wiped out the way they did" Hackett grumbled. "They are lucky it was just a flotilla" he added in an undertone. "So the summit will take place as planned?"

"Yes, sir" Shepard nodded.

"Good" the Admiral commented. "The earlier we get other species involved, the earlier we deal with this menace. Shepard, I want you to be our representative at the negotiating table".

"Me?" Shepard frowned, baffled. "Are you sure?" The Commander had, after all, been held prisoner by the Alliance under serious charges. Well, then again they had been rather confusing and uncommitted about that so...

"It has been decided that the Normandy would serve as the neutral meeting place for the Summit - right now, none of what remains of command can attend, and I trust your diplomatic skills" Hackett explained. As Shepard raised a skeptical eyebrow at his commanding officer, the older man decided to add "That and I rather have a Council Spectre mediating the war talk in our name".

"Any news on Cerberus?" Shepard wondered.

Hackett scowled at the mention of that organization. "Yes, and it is nothing good. Their forces are scaling up, and they are doing so with haste. We don't have any conclusive evidence on where or how, but the way people and many resources simply vanish on the colonies that are under their control aren't a good sign. That being said, I've received reports of a small contingent of Cerberus soldiers landing on Eden Prime. So far our garrison there hasn't reported any engagements or sightings, but something is brewing there… and I have a good guess to what".

"Eden Prime?" Shepard queried. "Why would Cerberus send troops there? It is a farming colony – heck, we have a strong influence there."

"I can't give away all the details, Commander, but I can tell you that there is an excavation on Eden Prime that might have found more Prothean artefacts like the Beacon years ago" Hackett told the Commander. "The Alliance has pooled a good lot of our scientists to hurry the process there and see if we could find anything to lead us to this Catalyst – or a better explanation of the Crucible. However, it might be another Martian Archive all over… have you managed to extract any information from your prisoner?"

"She is still unresponsive" Shepard shook his head, sighing. "A part of me fears that Cerberus installed a control chip on her brain. I would have Chakwas check her over... but I rather not take any risks right now. She is awfully too cooperative".

"I wouldn't be surprised" Hackett grunted. "For the time being, keep up the good work Shepard. Hackett out".

And just like that, the hologram bleeped out, leaving Shepard to take a deep stressed breath. He turned around and walked out of the Com Room, into the War Room. There, next to the Projector, was General Victus. The turian seemed to be waiting for the Commander.

"Shepard" the General greeted formally. "I did never actually thank you for your rescue".

Shepard raised a hand. "No need for that, General" he stated with a strained smile. "That's what allies are for".

"Regardless, I am thankful" Victus insisted.

The two remained awkwardly silent, before the regal turian stared into Shepard's eyes, unsure how to proceed.

"I get the feeling you want to tell me something" Shepard remarked.

"Indeed… I've been reading your reports on the Reapers, and the data you've gathered on them. While we might need to improvise on our space tactics, I am concerned about our ground combat" Victus explained. "You mentioned in your reports that Reapers overrun key positions with ground troops… these Husks. I am inclined to believe that we might need to bring some…" he paused, mustering his courage "weight into the coming conflict".

Shepard frowned. "Speak plainly, General" he told the turian. "What would this… weight... be? You mean like..." he raised an eyebrow "muscle?"

"Yes" the turian nodded. "The Krogan, Shepard. I don't see us holding any positions without them for this war".

Ah, yeah, them. Shepard managed to remained somewhat impassive at that, although he was taken aback. When was the last time he had heard a turian actually suggest Krogan aid? Then again, when was the last time you witness genocidal dreadnoughts invading your galaxy?

"I would have thought you would be more confident on the turian Army" Shepard pointed out. "But I understand the idea behind it. With the Krogan, I doubt Husks could do much about anything to any of our supply lines or bases".

"It is not that I am not confident about my people's military" Victus grumbled as his mandibles twitched with annoyance. "I am rather not that… appreciative of the Asari and Salarians in that regard. More importantly, if we had the Krogan to fill in our ground warfare, we could focus a lot more of our efforts on our fleets".

Shepard hummed in thought. "I see…" he commented. He really didn't know what to say to that. It was an odd day when a turian suggested admitting the need of Krogans for the war. "You want to ask the Krogans to join the Summit" he concluded.

"Yes" Victus nodded, sighing with relief as if thankful he could bring that out of his chest.

"Alright… where do I come in?" Shepard squinted suspiciously at the General.

"I want you to invite Urdnot Wrex to the Normandy for the Summit" Victus bluntly stated.

"That's a bold suggestion" Shepard pointed out. His eyes widened. "The Salarians aren't going to like that".

"You are catching on to the whole debacle" Victus grunted. "I can't be the one to officially extend an invitation to the Krogans, for many reasons. The first one is that I doubt any Krogan would take me seriously. They might find the situation a tad amusing… a turian general asking for their presence… that's leaving aside I don't see myself convincing any Krogan to be talkative. And secondly, it would weaken our position – the position of the Turians – with the Salarians and Asari".

"Why should I care about the turian position at the summit?" Shepard inquired, intrigued.

"Let's put this in simple terms, Commander. If Dalatrass Linron gets word that it was my idea to include the Krogans in this war, I doubt any suggestion or advice I offer during the summit itself will be respected or appreciated by her and by proxy the asari – it will tear apart whatever unity our three species have had to this point. The Salarian Union will take it as a personal insult. The Asari republics, on the other hand, might not bother with the summit altogether. It is not in the Asari's nature to go somewhere they perceive will be a hostile environment".

Shepard shook his head, frustrated. "God damn it" he swore. "You really think the Salarians might take such offense?"

"You clearly don't understand how strong of an opinion the Krogan as a whole are to the Salarians, Commander" the turian remarked. "Dalatrass Linron in particular is a prominent figure well known to believe the Krogans as a whole were a mistake – I understand your frustrations, Commander, but this is politics".

"Let me get this straight" Shepard closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose. "You want me to contact the Dalatrass and give her the heads-up… and invite Wrex to the Summit".

"Yes" Victus nodded slowly.

"Wouldn't it weaken the Alliance's position at the summit?" Shepard glared at the General.

"Commander… the Alliance's position is weak on its own as it is – I don't see it getting any weaker" the turian carelessly retorted. "Besides, the Dalatrass will not take offense if the invitation to the Krogan comes from a human. I actually believe she might have come to expect it".

"Will she agree, though?" Shepard frowned.

"No, but you won't exactly be asking for her permission – only giving her the heads-up" Victus offered the turian equivalent of a smirk.

"And she will not take offence with THAT?" Shepard raised a sceptical eyebrow.

"Coming from you… I believe she will be more exasperated than anything" Victus shook his head. "You ARE known to be rather head-strong with this type of actions – and given your relationship with Wrex, the Dalatrass might even be understanding – then again, she will have a Turian General to suggest at least hearing what Wrex has to say".

"It's a set up" Shepard summarized, growing irritated. "You want the Krogan at the table but don't want to do the invitation – or rather you don't want to make it look like it is the turians who wants to play nice with the Krogans. So, you will use me as the scapegoat – and you will play the good turian ally to the Dalatrass. You save face with the Salarians, the Turians look like they are on the Dalatrass' side and we get the Krogan on the Summit".

"Yes" Victus admitted.

"It is a deviously cunning plan" Shepard hummed with approval.

"And it might get us the Krogan to fight for us against the Reapers" Victus added.

"One thing is to get a Krogan to a war summit. Another thing is to convince them to do anything. You do understand Wrex will want something in return, don't you?" Shepard warned the General, leaning over almost conspiratorially.

"Yes, but we won't know what exactly until we actually get down to talking" Victus rebutted.

"Not quite. It is obvious what he is going to ask for" Shepard informed the General, who tilted his head with curiosity.

"And what would that be?" The General wondered.

"A cure to the genophage" Shepard stated. The turian's eyes widened. "And trust me, Wrex will not go for anything less than that". With that being said, Shepard walked around the shocked turian and out of the War room. "I'll make the calls – you better prepare for the fallout of Wrex's demands".

Commander Shepard shook his head with a grimace as he went past the checkpoint. The scanner was unmanned, with the two posted greenhorn marines elsewhere. He didn't even bother to stay during the scan. After all, what was the point? As he walked into the Commander Centre, he was greeted with a much readier Normandy, one that looked less empty than the one on Earth.

Samantha Traynor busied herself where Yeoman Kelly had once worked. What was the Communication specialist up to? He had no idea, but she appeared to be occupied. He was not going to interrupt her. Thus, Shepard stalked his way over to the elevator, taking it to the deck below where the crew quarters so happened to be. Walking out, he was immediately assaulted by the daunting image of the wall memorial.

It had been Ashley's idea – to set up the names of those who had served and died for the Normandy, be it the SR-1 or the SR-2. Shepard grimly looked at the empty plaques under the filled ones. There was a lot of empty place… The Commander's eyes quickly spotted Lieutenant Kaidan Alenko between the names, a sense of guilt rising in his gut.

Shepard didn't dwell long there, rather walking around the elevator and towards the Med-Bay. From the corner of his eyes he noticed the Alliance marines at the tables, enjoying a meal or just talking.

"Commander" Doctor Chakwas greeted Shepard. She had been at Huerta Memorial Hospital at the Citadel, almost waiting impatiently for Shepard to pick her up and take the doctor back to her home – the Normandy. Not that Shepard minded. It was good to see her back in action. This time around, assisting Doctor Chakwas and tending to the wounded turian soldiers on the beds was Doctor Michele.

"Chakwas" Shepard nodded at the grey-haired woman. "How's Garrus doing?"

"He will pull through" Chakwas told the Commander with a dismissive wave of his hand.

The Commander eyed the female turian at the bed parallel to Garrus. Shepard studied her for a moment before moving his attention to Garrus. Both turians slept peacefully on the beds. Shepard's old friend looked somewhat better than he recalled. His scars looked healthier and less fleshy, but they still came off as nasty. The female was admittedly somewhat attractive, and an oddity. Shepard could barely recall meeting female turians before, so this one was the perfect chance to see one at a close distance.

Shepard shook his head, having checked that Garrus hadn't woken up and escaped the Normandy to face another Reaper. With his fears quelled, he strolled across the med-bay and into the AI Core Room, where Dr Eva Core still sat, just like he had last left her. The lighting was dim and red, a purple Mass Effect field being the only thing in between Eva Core and the delicate processors of EDI. Shepard froze on his feet when he noticed that this time around, even though she was sitting in the same position as the time before, her head was down and the Doctor hadn't snapped her face at him. It was like she was sleeping…

"Doctor Core?" Shepard called. No answer. She didn't appear to have heard him. "Hello?" He tentatively tried again. Nothing. "EDI, is something wrong with Doctor Core?" Shepard didn't expect a lack of answer from the ship's AI. "EDI?" He looked around, expecting her avatar to pop in the nearby projector.

"Yes, Commander?"

Shepard was startled when he heard EDI's voice coming out from within the containment field. More surprising was to find Doctor Core staring at him. He frowned, confused.

"EDI?" He asked, squinting at the female prisoner.

"That's correct" Core replied. Shepard was flabbergasted, to say the least. The woman stood up, looking at her hands.

"Wha- hold on, Doctor Core…" Shepard's eyes widened "she was an android?"

"That would be correct" EDI nodded at him. "I am presently within what used to be her body, Shepard".

Shepard blinked at the woman once. Twice. Thrice. "Alright, what the hell happened?" He sighed with frustration.


	5. Chapter 5: Sur'Kesh

**Chapter V: Sur'Kesh**

"Let me get this straight" James Vega, looking as if he was facing a complicated physic equation "we are going to Sur'Kesh as in… the Salarian home-world to…" he squinted at Shepard, dumbfounded "to pick four females that were cured from the Genophage… as in, THE Genophage?"

The Port Observation was filled with a faint hum and the enticing aroma of Thessian tea. The Commander had gathered his team for a debriefing there while at the same time relax. The place was the comfiest of them all, with some music players, a small bar and couches. Liara was sprawled on one of the couches, taking sip of her tea with delight, while Ashley and James sat. They had all been surprised that the Normandy even had such a room. Thing was, it had been Shepard's idea to have such commodities, given he had prepared a crew to willingly go to their deaths across the Omega 4 Relay.

Shepard nodded. James whistled, amazed, as he folded his exposed arms over this rock-solid chest. The soldier's white shirt almost screamed in agony for being stretched too much. He leant back on his seat, still looking flabbergasted.

"Damn Loco, is it always this crazy with you?" James asked.

"You have no idea" Liara chuckled.

"Speaking of crazy…" Ashley cleared her throat, looking uncomfortable "aren't we going to talk about the elephant in the room?"

Shepard raised an eyebrow. "Which would be..?" He waved a hand, urging the Lieutenant Commander to carry on.

Ashley glared at the Commander. "Oh, I don't know, Skipper, maybe the Synthetic who has taken to following you around this ship – the same synthetic that is the avatar to the same illegal AI that controls the entire Normandy?"

Shepard eyed EDI who stood behind him, arms on her back like a diligent second-in-command. Differently from before, she was clad in full Alliance officer uniform. Heck, Shepard had even gotten a cap to match with it… EDI had taken a liking to wearing it since then – what was odd.

"You mean EDI?" Shepard corrected, unsure where this was heading.

"Yes, EDI" Ashley huffed. "Why are you acting like it is a nothing burger?"

"You kidding? I've been around a psychotic biotic mass-murderer, a genetically modified beauty pageant winner, a hard-ass Justicar, a friendly Geth platform, a tank-bred pubescent Krogan and Garrus. EDI might be the most decent person I've been around in a long time" Shepard quipped humorously.

Ashley opened his mouth to protest, but she was unable to formulate a single sentence. James simply stared at Shepard, still confused. Liara giggled. "I'll have to tell Garrus that one" the asari commented.

"I appreciate your words, Shepard" EDI informed the Commander.

"I – did -?" Ashley struggled to say something.

"Did you say a beauty pageant?" James suddenly wondered. Four set of eyes turned to the baffled marine. "What?" He shrugged.

"Of all the things that stood out from Shepard's former crew and you pick up that one?" Ashley sent an accusatory glare at the poor soldier.

"Hey, I was just asking!" James squawked.

"Seriously, Shepard, aren't you… worried?" Ashley asked, anxious.

"That EDI will go on a killing rampage against all organics?" Shepard wondered, confused.

"Well… yeah" Ashley shrugged, conflicted. "No offence EDI, it's just that…"

"Your fears are understandable" EDI stated with a nod. "Given your experience on Eden Prime and your time fighting the Geth, and considering the nature of the Reapers, it is reasonable to hold scepticism against synthetics – I doubt there is anything I can say to ease your concerns. I, however, do intend to prove through my actions that I am loyal to Shepard and his cause".

"Ehm… good to know, I guess" Ashley mumbled.

"Ash, I trust EDI with my life. She might not be organic, and she might be the child of Cerberus, but she is a fine person" Shepard reassured the female marine.

"If you say so, Skipper" Ashley forced a smile on her face. The Commander felt like the issue was clearly not resolved, but at the time there were other things to focus on.

"So, Sur'Kesh" Shepard took a deep breath. "The plan is simple. We will be taking the shuttle down to the coordinates… it is an STG lab, if I am not mistaken. It should be an easy process. We land, we pick the females and we leave".

"Are we expecting trouble?" James wondered.

"We will be loading four Krogan females that have been cured from the Genophage – if the Reapers want to screw us over, it will be while the females are out of the lab and on their way to the shuttle" Shepard declared. "So yes, I am expecting trouble".

"You make it sound like the Reapers would know of this" James blurted out. "And what do you think they would send? One of those big ass Sovereign types?"

"Perhaps not the Reapers themselves, Lieutenant, but rather Indoctrinated agents" Liara pointed out. She nodded at Shepard. "Caution is never unnecessary – particularly on such a delicate matter as this. If those females were killed, it would take decades to develop an actual cure".

Well, that was not exactly the case, but Liara didn't need to know that. No one needed to know that he had the schematics to the cure – given how Maelon had somehow managed with his procedures come up with something that worked. However, Shepard wasn't sure. Mordin had told him that Maelon had been rather far from an actual cure… so it didn't make sense that some of the escaped victims of Maelon had somehow been cured. Something didn't add up, and not knowing what unnerved Shepard.

"That and we will be taking Wrex" Shepard sighed, tiredly. Why was the Krogan overlord coming with them? Probably to take a piss (perhaps even literally) on the Salarians, most probably. Officially though, Wrex claimed to want to make sure the Salarians stuck to their end of the deal.

"Wait, he is coming with us?" Ashley frowned. Shepard had forgotten she hadn't gotten along with Wrex that well.

"I don't see… the wisdom on that" Liara commented as she took a reassuring sip of her tea.

"He probably wants to annoy the Dalatrass" Shepard muttered, shaking his head.

"You do know that odds are people might be more likely to want to try to kill him rather than the females?" Liara remarked. "This will be the first time in years since Wrex will be exposed like this… and he is the leader of the Krogans now – a good leader at that. If he were to die… and in Sur'Kesh of all places…"

Shepard sighed. "Yeah, I know…"

"Yeah, but who?" James shrugged leisurely. "I mean, it's a secret base – and the Dalatrass herself gave the green light, right?" Shepard nodded.

"Who knows, James? The Dalatrass might actually arrange for assassins, or maybe some of the richer Salarian families that still hate Krogans" Shepard grunted. "Wrex hasn't exactly a lack of enemies. Rival clans that want him replaced might actually order the hit and scheme with Salarians. There are an endless number of who or hows – none of them good for us".

The door to the Port Observation swished open and Shepard turned around. His dark eyes widened, surprised. There, crossing the threshold, was none other than Shepard's favourite turian: Garrus Vakarian.

"Ha, it's good to be back" the turian smirked at Shepard. Behind Garrus was an uncomfortably looking female turian. She seemed to examine everything with scrutiny. "Spirits be damned, Shepard, you really enjoy arriving at the nick of the time, don't you?"

Shepard stood up and shook his friend's hand. "I thought you could hold on your own, Garrus. You seem to be losing your touch" he chuckled. The Commander eyed the female turian. "And you would be…?"

"Nyreen Kandros, Cabal" she replied with a curt nod. "General Victus thought you might appreciate some extra help on your mission".

"How much did you beg, Garrus?" Shepard grinned at the scarred turian, who laughed. Nyreen tilted her head at him, perplexed.

"Not much" Garrus shrugged. "I was promoted to 'Reaper Expert' by the Hierarchy some time ago so Victus didn't object to keeping me around. Not that I really would have left, anyway. I rather stick around on the ship that managed to kill a Reaper, if you don't mind – that and I feel safer with a ship that can actually become invisible to the Reapers".

Shepard huffed. "Nothing about missing me?"

"Missing you? I had a calm few months for once" Garrus retorted. "So what is this mission?"

"Good to see you too, Garrus" Ashley smirked at the turian.

"Yeah" the male turian grinned. "And Liara as well… I heard Wrex was here too. You aren't actually gathering the old crew, are you Shepard?"

"Not for the time being" Shepard shook his head. "Meet James Vega".

"Ah, your protégé?" Garrus studied Shepard. "Well, going back to the mission… Victus didn't really give us any details". Nyreen perked up. She clearly hadn't been interest by the banter between the Commander and Garrus.

"We are off to pick four Krogan females that had been cured from the Genophage right from an STG lab to ensure that Wrex agrees at some point to send Krogan soldiers to fight in the coming war" Shepard stated with a shrug and laid-back tone.

Nyreen stared at Shepard, mandibles spreading wide with shock. Garrus seemed somewhat surprised as well.

"Ah, yes, before I forget" Shepard said with sudden realization. "Garrus, that's EDI. She found herself a body".

Garrus turned to EDI, then looked back at Shepard. His mandibles spread with shock just like Nyreen, before he shook his head. He closed his eyes and groaned loudly.

"Will there ever be a time we aren't breaking every bit of normalcy in the galaxy?" Garrus scowled.

"Welcome back to the Normandy" Shepard shrugged.

* * *

"I don't like this" Wrex protested.

Shepard sighed, rolling his eyes for the umpteenth time. "It is going to be alright, Wrex" Shepard grumbled, also for the umpteenth time. The large Krogan shuffled uneasily on his seat as the shuttle approached their destination. For one reason or another Wrex was… nervous.

James, Shepard and Garrus all stood up, clenching onto the hangers while Liara, Ashley and Nyreen all took the rest of the seats. They all were armed to their teeth, including Wrex. If one looked at them they might have thought they were about to go to war, not pick four harmless females… as harmless as female Krogans were, though. One thing was sure: they would need to make two trips. Shepard didn't think they would all fit on the way back.

"We are landing" Cortez announced.

Wrex growled anxiously. Shepard didn't know what was up with him. Did Wrex know something Shepard didn't or… Ah, how could he have forgotten? Sur'Kesh, home of Salarians. Yeah, Wrex might have bitten more than he could chew. Shepard was not going to rescue him from that one. Wrex had purposely asked (read 'demanded') to be part of the extraction so he might as well swallow his pride and be done with it.

The shuttle door opened and the team all walked out. To say the place was beautiful might have been an understatement. Lush green embraced the tall, terraced white facilities as waterfalls roared nearby. Birds flew overhead and moisture gathered on their helmets. They didn't need to remove their helmets to know it was humid, tropical even, all around.

A tall black-clad Salarian marched over to Shepard, accompanied by four armed guards.

"Commander, I am Padok Wiks" the lead Salarian introduced himself. "The Dalatrass has informed us of your… mission. Please, if you would follow me."

The team followed after the salarian. Shepard frowned at the number of Salarians on the terrace. They all seemed busy here or there… but the Commander was curious as to why they would be working so openly and on what was the top floor of a building. If he had to guess, though, the Dalatrass probably asked for extra security precautions for the extraction of the females.

"Alright, Wiks, where are the females?" Shepard squinted at the Salarian.

"That's the thing, Commander" the Padok nervously said. "There is only one left…"

"I knew it!" Wrex growled. Immediately, Padok's four guards trained their guns at him. "You killed them!"

"No, they were already weak by the time we rescued them – we tried to stabilize them but…" Padok shook his head. "They were in terrible conditions. Maelon did a lot of damage to their bodies".

"Why you little…" Wrex muttered.

"So there is one left" Shepard took a deep breath. Great, now the mission stakes were higher. "Where is she?"

"Down at the labs" Padok offered. "She is under a containment field and guarded. We didn't want to expose her until you arrived".

"Alright, I guess it is time we take her home" Shepard said.

"I will ask that you Krogan companion stays here" Padok declared. "I rather not face a diplomatic incident because something went wrong at the labs".

"If you think I will simply stay put while you meddle with the hope of my people…" Wrex warned.

"Wrex, I've got this" Shepard sighed.

The oversized Krogan glared at Shepard, but in the end he thankfully huffed in disdain and nodded. "Alright, alright, I stay up here" he growled.

"James, Nyreen, stay with him" Shepard ordered.

"I don't need bodyguards" Wrex grunted, smirking.

"No, but I suppose you will appreciate the company" Shepard chuckled.

"Alright, over here" Padok guided Shepard and his reduced party onto the elevator.

"Is it really a good idea to leave Wrex with all those Salarians up there?" Garrus asked.

"Why do you think I asked James and Nyreen to stay with him?" Shepard smirked at his turian friend, who shook his head, amused.

The lab was… creepy. Dimly lit, with many machines and desks all around, it had an air of mad science all around. Salarian soldiers and scientists scurried around here and there, but there was one in particular that caught Shepard's attention.

"Mordin?"

The Salarian in question, who was nearby staring into a computer terminal, spun around. A smile formed on the scarred Salarian's face. Dressed in a white Salarian equivalent to a lab-coat, the red-skinned amphibian was exactly like Shepard remembered from the last time they saw each other.

"Shepard. Good to see you. Here for the female, already. Excellent. Earlier than expected" Mordin Solus nodded at him, in approval. He turned to Garrus, frowning. "Scarring remains beneath helmet, I assume… no treatment? Hmm… intended for courting females, perhaps?"

"Good to see you too, Mordin" Garrus muttered. "And no, I just didn't want to bother with the scars".

Ashley and Liara looked like they heads were spinning at the speed Mordin spoke. Shepard chuckled. Some things never change… The group walked across the lab straight to a containment cell. Inside, Shepard saw a female Krogan… with a niqab. Why did the image bother him so much? True, the clothing was expensively embroiled and decorated, yet it was still a niqab. She sat on a bed, on a far corner, as if brooding, hugging her legs.

"Is she alright?" Shepard inquired.

"Yes, perfect condition. Recuperated fine. She is strong enough to leave" Mordin replied.

Shepard looked at the female, only to notice she was now staring at him with yellow reptilian eyes, filled with wander. "Well, what are we waiting for?" He asked.

It was at that exact moment that Fate decided to throw a wrench on his plans. The base, all too suddenly, shook.

"What was that?" Ashley, drawing his gun, nervously asked.

"An explosion" Padok whispered, surprised.

"Dispel that field down and let's us get that female out of here, ASAP" Shepard ordered.

"Negative" Mordin shook his head. "We move her containment cell. Safer inside".

Another explosion shook the place again. The Salarian around them seemed to start panicking. The lights overhead flickered and a siren went off. Shepard heard the tell-tale beep of someone calling for him on his helmet, and thus pressed a button to open the channel, eyes staring on the ceiling above.

"Shepard!" The Commander winced as Wrex's voice boomed on his ears. "The base is under attack!"

"Who is attacking?" Shepard asked, confused.

"Cerberus!" Wrex yelled. "And they are on force. Get that female out of there!"

"Wrex, it would be best if she remains here until…" BOOM. Shepard felt that explosion much closer than before.

"No, bring her up of here or all deals are off" Wrex warned.

Shepard sighed exasperatedly. "But she will be in dang-"

"Just do it!" Wrex roared.

Shepard heard the channel shutting and he groaned. Just great, what he needed… He turned to Mordin. "Wrex wants her up" he muttered.

For reasons beyond Shepard's comprehension Mordin nodded of all things him. "Good. I will be inside. Move cell upwards" he said as he entered a side cabin of the cell before Shepard could even sneeze a retort.

Shepard took longer to react than he should. Why was Mordin agreeing to such a dangerous move? It would be safer for the female if they actually remained underground, holed up until reinforcements showed up and minimized risk of meeting the enemy. He didn't have more time to think as the place shook yet again. What was with Cerberus and explosions that day?

"Damn it!" Ashley swore. "Why is Cerberus attacking us now?"

"Why is Cerberus even attacking?" Garrus asked, flabbergasted.

"They probably want to kill the female" Liara reasoned.

Shepard really doubted Cerberus would attack Sur'Kesh, a home-world, JUST to kill one Krogan, regardless how essential she was for the Krogan's survival. Shepard, though, was far more interested on figuring out how they had managed to find the base, launch a successful attack and coordinate it in such manner that the attack took place once Shepard had arrived.

"What are you doing?!" Padok exclaimed at Mordin, only then realizing that the mad scientists had sealed himself in. "It's against protocols and-"

"We are leaving. Shepard, emergency exit that direction" Mordin pointed at a back-door. "Meet with us on the next level. Hurry".

"Wait, Mordin -" Shepard extended a hand, but it was too late. The cell slowly started to elevate. All the way, the female Krogan stared at him, something strange in her eyes. He groaned again, drawing his assault rifle – a Mattock. "Alright, I suppose we don't have a choice!"

Shepard didn't know what to expect when he walked out and into the emergency corridor. Garrus, Liara and Ashley all followed after him closely, while the explosions became more recurrent. What was Cerberus even doing? Orbital bombardment?

"It doesn't make sense!" Shepard exclaimed. "What does Cerberus gain from this?"

"Have you considered that maybe the Illusive Man might be Indoctrinated?" Liara suggested.

"Or he is a plain bastard" Ashley added with a grunt.

"No, I'm with Shepard. The Illusive Man might be a monster, but going in with guns blazing like this… this isn't his style" Garrus admitted. "Maybe Liara is right, though…"

They climbed a ladder to the next level. Here, they heard the sound of gunfight, and a lot of screaming. It sounded like a slaughter. They hurried out of the emergency corridor and… halted as they found the entire level a real war-zone. The Salarians, armed with handguns, tried to fend off a squad of six Cerberus troopers. Even with superior numbers, the Salarians were unable to offer much resistance as the six shock troopers mowed them down with deadly precision.

"Fire at will!" Shepard ordered, firing his gun.

"Hostiles!" One of the enemies cried out. The six quickly dispersed. "It's them" he added, probably to the coms. "Their location has been confirmed – level 3".

"Who the hell trained these guys?!" Ashley cried out as a bullet bounced of her helmet, leaving a long gash.

Garrus ducked behind a desk, surprised, as he nearly got shot in the head. Shepard ignored the Lieutenant Commander quickly getting three of them – one shot each.

"Impressive!" Garrus laughed from where he hid.

"This is not the time for laughter!" Liara cried out as the Cerberus soldiers concentrated their fire on her position.

"Amen!" Ashley yelled.

"Fall back, fall back!" The leader of the Cerberus troopers ordered, grabbing hold of the one closest. The third one covered after the first two, only for Shepard to get his chance.

"Shepard, Cerberus at the next level!" Mordin said in the coms. "Hurry!"

Shepard gritted his teeth. "Come on, people!" He shouted, charging forward. They took the stairs up, ignoring the many dead Salarians, destroyed equipment and research… it was from the corner of his eyes he noticed the varren on containment cells on one side of the wall. What were they even researching there?

"They must have had inside help" Garrus decided.

"I doubt they would have found an STG base any other way" Shepard retorted. "or launch such a successful attack…"

"You mean a Salarian actually sold his own people to Cerberus?" Ashley exclaimed as they rushed up the stairs.

"If it meant stopping Clan Urdnot from getting their hands on the cure of the Genophage…" Liara reasoned morosely.

Shepard slammed himself against the side of a door frame as he peeped onto the laboratory in front. His eyes widened as, right in the corridor a turret was being set by a…

"Is that a quarian?" Garrus gasped.

Indeed, kneeling and working on his omni-tool, a male quarian, clad in an environmental suit of black and orange, with the Cerberus insignia boldly showing on one shoulder, glared at them. At each side of the quarian, human shock-troopers quickly interceded with the thunder of their guns. The quarian engineer immediately moved into cover as the turrent came to life, beeping aggressively.

"Shepard, they are outside!" Mordin yelled.

Shepard hissed as the barrage of that one turret rained on his position. "I'm trying, damn it!" He replied. Angrily, he rolled downwards and, as his world spun, shot the turret's optical sensor. The humans around it actually looked down at it, thoroughly shocked by Shepard's accuracy. They weren't the only one. One could almost hear the one second of silence as the turrent kept staring dead ahead, unable to identify any targets.

"Retreat, retreat!"

"Damn cowards!" Shepard stood up and started running after them, guns blazing. The Cerberus soldiers, though, were a bit too good at running... and Shepard was distracted by the glowing containment shield to his right to pursue. He angrily stomped over to the console in front of a frantic Mordin.

"They moved to the level above. You need to hurry" the Salarian scientist stated. "Quickly, we need you to move us through this check-point".

Shepard frowned at the console. Why didn't Cerberus try to shoot at it? Maybe he had pressed them a bit too quickly. He shook his head, dismissing the thought. He typed in the instructions, allowing the cell to start ascending up again.

"Come on" Shepard told his three companions as he turned his attention to the stairs leading up and sprinted at them.

"Wait for us!" Cried out an exhausted Liara. "I- I haven't run this much in- in years…"

The level above was filled with Cerberus troopers. There was no sight of that one quarian engineer, but this time they had another surprise. With a different helmet, and clearly the one in command, Shepard spotted a turian giving orders to the human shock soldiers. The Centurion noticed him and barked the obvious order: "fire!"

There were over twenty Cerberus soldiers, and damn they fought back with all their might. Their efforts, in the end, were futile. Within a minute, seven of them were down. The Centurion immediately called for the retreat, even if there were around fourteen comrades with him. By then, thankfully, Mordin was waiting for Shepard, the containtment cell mostly untouched.

"How is the cell holding?" Shepard asked, raising an eyebrow with some surprise as he noticed the lack of damage all around. Again, they hadn't bothered with the console.

"Made for this scenario" Mordin smiled at him. "Kept pressure on. Good. Unable to think things through. Shoot shields instead of focusing on controls. Deadly mistake. One last level. We are ready".

"Damn…" Garrus muttered, staring at a dead salarian. Shepard frowned at the turian.

"Is that… Kirrahe?" Ashley, standing next to the blue-clad turian, said.

"Yes… it would seem so" Liara agreed.

"You three, stay focused" Shepard ordered as he typed the orders on the console. The cell groaned a bit before started ascending again. "Come on, let's hurry!"

The top level was… well, Shepard had expected a lot of resistance. Instead Cerberus appeared to be… retreating? Cerberus shuttle were leaving as the Assault Troopers inside shot at them. Shepard could only stare at them, confused, at their retreat from behind cover.

Liara and Ashley panted heavily as Shepard and Garrus calmly walked over onto the platform their shuttle had been supposed to be. They looked up as the shuttles flew up, into orbit, followed closely by what appeared to be fighters and helicopters. What the hell was going on?

"Did you just scare them, Shepard?" Garrus nudged him with a smirk.

"They must have seen your face" Shepard retorted with a grin.

From their left, they saw the Alliance shuttle hovering from over the jungle. When it landed, a triumphant Wrex, and sickly looking James and Nyreen, stepped out. The scarlet-armoured Krogan looked at the piles of Salarian corpses around and shrugged, moving to the now rising containment cell.

"Where did you go?" Garrus asked a dizzy Nyreen.

"Cerberus were quick to overrun this position – that was when your shuttle flew in" Nyreen mumbled, shaking her head.

"I will never…" James wheezed, as if wanted to spew, while he fell on his knees "be in a shuttle piloted by a Krogan again…"

"I heard that" Wrex growled two dozen metres away.

Shepard and Garrus traded looks. Did Wrex even know how to pilot a shuttle? As if to make a point, a pale looking Steve Cortez walked out the shuttle too. He seemed like he had been to some horrible places.

"You alright, Steve?" Shepard raised an inquisitive eyebrow at the pilot.

"Y-yeah" nodded the man, who took soothing breaths. "That… that was something… different…"

Shepard chuckled next to Garrus as the pair turned around over to walk calmly to Wrex. Said Krogan was puffing up comically, as if preparing to give a good impression. The female inside the containment cell stood on the middle, relaxed, hands behind her as if she had been patiently waiting for her ordeal to end. There was a final hiss as the mechanisms moving the cell stopped and the barrier dissipated.

"Ehm… did any Salarian actually make it?" Liara shyly asked.

"Damn, Cerberus doesn't kid around" Ashley mumbled.

Mordin stepped out of the cell and went over to stand behind Shepard. He was smiling giddily. The female Krogan tentatively walked over to the end of the cell, curiously studying her surroundings – more intrigued than worried. It was then that Shepard noticed how… short she was. Wrex offered a hand, which she plainly ignored, preferring to hop out of cell herself. Instead, he walked over to Shepard, golden eyes fixated on him. The difference of height was made apparent then as Shepard found himself having to tilt his head slightly down to face her.

"Thank you, Commander" she bowed at him a bit, taking the Commander aback. Her voice was low and deep, like any Krogans, but it was a different pitch than that of males. There was wisdom in them, but something about it made Shepard believe he was not that old for that type of wisdom that only came with age… In fact, if Shepard didn't know any better he would have say he might have been addressed by a teenage Krogan.

Shepard tilted his head, confused. "Ehm… always a pleasure" he nodded at her.

Without another word, she turned towards the shuttle, outside of which James still kneeled on the floor and Nyreen stood with trembling feet. It was odd to see one of those proud turians with such shaky disposition. She didn't even hesitate. She started marching over to it.

"She is not what I had expected" Garrus commented.

"This day is nothing like I had expected" Shepard admitted.

"Come on. No time to waste!" Mordin happy exclaimed as he, walking side by side Wrex, hurried after the female. Now there was an odd sight if he had ever seen one.

"Alright, forget what I said. This day was plain ridiculous" Shepard grunted, shaking his head with frustration.

* * *

Once again, Shepard found himself surrounded by the ground team, plus EDI, at the Port Observation. This time, however, he felt like he was having a headache. Garrus sat on a couch next to Nyreen, both drinking some kind of turian beverage they rather not go into details with, while the rest were scattered elsewhere. Ashley was sitting next to James, both of them holding cold beer cans. Liara, looking tired, seemed to be once again trying to relax with asari tea. EDI, as some time of butler, regally stood attentively over Shepard's shoulder.

"You alright, Shepard?" Liara asked candidly.

"No… I just came from the com room" Shepard groaned. "The Dalatrass has a horrible voice when she screams". He rubbed an ear "too darn high-pitched".

"I guess she wasn't pleased with today's events" Ashley smiled at the Commander. For once, she seemed to treat him like the days of old.

"She lost an entire STG base to some random enemy who showed up from nowhere while handing over the potential cure of the Genophage to the Krogan… right now, she is neck deep with trouble from her own people" Shepard sighed, morosely. "Two hundred and seven causalities, all STGs – including millions of credits lost in damage to expensive equipment and tons of research material gone… some of which had been "escaped containment" – or what I assume means that the live test-subjects run for it and now Sur'Kesh has a new population of Varren to deal with. Yeah, she was pissed off".

"T-Two hundred?" Liara gasped.

"Yeah, and most were high-ranking and experienced, like Kirrahe" Shepard grumbled, leaning back. "Salarians that would have been useful in this war".

"Is there any idea how Cerberus did it?" Garrus asked, concerned. "They hit a secret base, on a home-world… that was bold – even for Cerberus".

"Only speculation so far" Shepard grimaced.

"You look troubled" Ashley commented.

"It's nothing" he lied. Ashley pulled a face, but didn't push the Commander. "Alright, I will get some shut-eye".

He stood up and left. EDI, as she had taken to do, followed after him. The Commander didn't seem to mind much, until he noticed she was still behind him, standing with her hands back and staring at him, even at the elevator when he planned to go to his cabin. He raised an eyebrow at EDI, who didn't respond. The Commander was too tired to deal with the AI, thus he sighed and addressed the synthetic problem at hand.

"EDI, please, I don't need-" Shepard sighed at her.

"It was the quarian" it was a statement.

Shepard grimaced, and nodded. Sighing wearily again, he allowed EDI into the elevator as he headed to his cabin. EDI remained quiet all the way up and even after he had walked inside. Only then did Shepard's shoulder slump.

"Yeah, the quarian on Sur'Kesh… I – I don't know what to think" Shepard admitted, collapsing over his cabin's couch. "Why would a quarian… or turian work for Cerberus?"

EDI stared at him, standing weirdly in full attention some feet away from him. For a moment, she didn't reply, she merely studied him thoroughly – as if solving a mathematical puzzle. "You are concerned about Tali" she concluded.

"Yes…" Shepard nodded slowly. "Could Cerberus be recruiting quarians and turians? Or is it something else? What if they attacked the Migrant Fleet again?"

"You are mostly concerned by the fact Tali hasn't been answering your mails" EDI remarked.

"That is a bit personal" Shepard glared at EDI. "But yeah, that and the quarians have vanished. Could they have joined Cerberus?"

"Unlikely" EDI said, moving over to sit next to Shepard. She crossed her legs in what could be described in a rather lady-like manner. The way she held herself sometimes baffled Shepard, to the point he pondered what she was trying to achieve with such behaviour. Admittedly, he was surprised by EDI's ability to mimic female movements, and a certain elegance that eluded many women Shepard had encountered. Was that good programing? "Although there is always a chance the Illusive Man has hired the quarian's aid to assist him".

Shepard's eyes widened. "The… Hackett said that Cerberus was making resources disappear into somewhere… you don't think that the Illusive Man has the quarians building ships for him?" He buried his face in his palms. "God…" How was he supposed to feel about that possibility? Were they alright? Was Tali alright?

A hand gently squeezed his knee. He looked up at a smiling EDI. At that moment, Shepard almost forgot she was a synthetic.

"You can really act the organic part, you know that?" Shepard forced a smile at her.

"This program has many installed functions derived from its initial model" EDI explained with a rather seductive tone. Her smile reminded him all too much to Miranda.

"Ehm… what do you mean by that?" Shepard asked.

"This body is a re-purposed android meant for intercourse with human indivuals" EDI stated. The Commander blinked at her.

"You mean… like the sort that are on – were on brothels back on Earth?" Shepard spluttered.

"Yes, apparently Cerberus modified what is generally called a 'sex-bot' to better infiltrate the Martian archives. As such, I preserve many interactive abilities, from pleasant responsiveness to able to perform intercourse" EDI carried on, undaunted.

"But why a robot?" Shepard frowned. "Why not send… you know… a human being – an organic person, I mean?"

"Perhaps because Cerberus didn't count with a Prothean scientist that wouldn't be recognized by the Alliance" EDI replied. "Moreover, I have many extra features an organic being would found hardpressed to imitated, like recording and interal communication systems".

Shepard groaned. "I guess we will never know for sure…" he muttered.

"Do you wish for me to obtain nourishment for you, Shepard?" EDI suddenly asked.

"Ehm…" Shepard blinked. "I guess" he shrugged tiredly.

Liara worriedly looked at the elevator's door, lost in thought. For a moment, she simply stood there, hugging herself – something in her mind making her frown with concern. Her sapphire eyes glimmered with sadness, before she looked away, hurt by some stray thought. It was only as she turned towards her room that she noticed Williams standing nearby, staring at the elevator as well.

The Asari didn't bother putting much thought about the human female, preferring to search the consolation of work. As the Shadow Broker, after all, she had a lot to do. Williams, however, had another thing in her mind.

"Ehm… Liara?" Williams called as Liara reached her door.

"Yes, Williams?" Liara asked, facing the human.

"Ashley – or Ash, please" Ashley mumbled with discomfort. She seemed to be struggling with what she wanted – needed – to say. "I know we haven't always gotten along..."

"No, we both competed for the Commander's affection – and you weren't exactly appreciative about his final decision" Liara bluntly rebutted.

Ashley bristled, but her flare of anger vanished quickly. "Yes… but that -" the woman took a moment to compose herself, looking downwards, gritting her teeth while a hand roughly rubbed her neck. She struggled with what she had to say next. "What do you think about Skipper - I mean, this Shepard?" she queried.

"…this Shepard?" Liara repeated, baffled. "Is there something I should be thinking in regards to Shepard, Wil-" it was Liara's turn to struggle in the conversation "Ashley?"

"Don't you think there is something…" Ashley nervously looked sideways, making sure no one would overhear them "… off about him?"

Liara scrunched her face, confused. She didn't like not understanding something. "What do you mean?" She wondered.

"I – I don't know" Ashley grumbled. "Don't you feel like – like he has been changed?"

Liara folded her arms. She wasn't appreciative to the road this dialogue was headed towards, mostly because it bothered her a bit too much.

"Come on, Liara, doesn't it bothers you that he hasn't exactly even tried to rekindle things with you?" Ashley asked.

Liara grimaced. Ashamed, she looked at her feet, almost embarrassed. "While I admit I wish Shepard would try to re-establish our prior relationship… he has found another person" Liara whispered.

Ashley blinked. "H-He has?" She asked, surprised.

"Yes" Liara forced a smile. She really wanted to be happy for Shepard and his new mate. She really wanted to. Unforuntately, the heart wanted what it wanted. "He appears to have chosen Tali".

Ashley's eyebrow shot up high in her forehead and her jaw dropped, exposing the inside of her mouth… not a pleasant sight for Liara.

"Tali? As in- our Tali? Nervous, shy, shotgun-crazy tech-for-life Tali? Quarian Tali?" Ashley asked.

Liara managed to smile, amused by the Lieutenant Commander's surprise. "The very same" she nodded.

"B-But… she is a quarian" Ashley spluttered. "Shepard doesn't even know how she looks like… how did it happen?" She was beyond confused.

"I can't explain it myself" Liara shook her head. "In any case, Shepard isn't interested in me…" she sighed. It hurt to admit it so openly. She still had hope, however, if not much else. "What are your worries, Ashley?"

Ashley shuffled on her feet, anxious. "Do you think that…" she trailed off, uncertain if it was convenient to proceed. However, after some deliberation with herself she pressed on "do you think Cerberus might have done something to Shepard?"

At first, Liara thought Ashley was being ridiculous. But sadly, the human's words rang deeper than she might have wished. It was like a stain that couldn't be removed, and as such, it stuck. Could it be true? After all, Cerberus had never been a positive force in the Galaxy. From heinous experiments to immoral decisions, would it be that surprising if they had somehow… changed Shepard? This deserved some thought, as much as Liara hated to admit she had messed up by handing over the Commander's corpse to Cerberus.

"Come inside" Liara told Ashley as she stepped aside, allowing the Lieutenant Commander to walk into the room. "Maybe…" she hesitantly offered "maybe you are right…"


	6. Chapter 6: The Calm before the Storm

**Chapter VI: The Calm before the Storm**

If there was one thing Shepard did not miss when he was stuck on Earth, it was answering or reporting to the Council. He had been a good lad and kept the Councillors up-to-date even when he was with Cerberus, but once he had been under house arrest, he had had an excuse… sort of. And now, after Sur'Kesh, he felt like everything was going wrong.

The Salarians were pissed at Shepard, and the Krogan, for the whole Sur'Kesh debacle. It was understandable – to some point. The Council, unwilling to lose the support of the salarians, had to look like they were also outraged. The real problem had been Cerberus though, and while the Councillors would not even hint at it, Shepard knew what was having the Council so riled up: how did Cerberus become so powerful? From a shady black-ops splinter group of the Alliance to a whole faction of its own?

If that wasn't enough, the Council was worried about the cure of the Genophage. While it was true that Krogans weren't exactly scientifically savvy, the fact someone somewhere had managed to synthesize it was disturbing enough. The Council would have rather if the female Krogan stayed at the Citadel than go back to Tuchanka. Wrex had been against it, but nevertheless made use of a unique audience with the Council to try to win some favour to push for a cure. Perhaps the recent massacre of Salarians had put the oversized Krogan warlord in an excellent mood – or maybe it was just Shepard's imagination. Regardless, Wrex was far too agreeable and cheerful those days.

Shepard was not confident Wrex would get what he wanted. He looked around the Citadel and he knew straight away not many saw the urgency. There was a calm feeling all over, even at the lower wards, like a false sense of security – a really naïve hopeful notion that the Reapers weren't that bad. Many really didn't believe Palaven or Thessia could fall like Earth did. People were not seeing the threat. The Reapers were just too passive, even absent, if he was honest. If they had been pushing across territories, terrorizing colonies the tune of the station would have been different.

As such, the Council species weren't really hurrying to improve their current technology or increase the size of their fleets. The Turians were retrofitting their vessels as quickly as they could, but they were simply too confident on their existent navy to put that much thought in producing new ships. Heck, even the Asari seemed confident of their odds against the Reapers. It was exasperating!

Hence, Shepard was frustrated when he reached Huerta Memorial Hospital, searching for a known face. Thankfully, he was able to smile as he spotted his target. Thane Krios sat on the couch of the hospital just like the Drell used to do back at the Normandy. Contemplative, thoughtful and lost in memories, he stared off into the Presidium outside. It was a nice view out there. Shepard had to give him that.

"It's good to see you again, Commander" Thane greeted placidly, smiling at Shepard. "I'm glad you could make it".

Shepard sighed tiredly as he sat on the seat next to Thane's. "You know me…" he grumbled. "You look in good health".

"Kepral Syndrom can be deceiving" Thane returned his attention to the Presidium. "Like the Reapers". There was a long pause between them, as they both took a moment to enjoy the scenery outside. With a saddened voice, he turned momentarily to Shepard to add "I'm sorry about Earth".

Shepard leaned back on his seat, uncomfortable. "Yeah" he mumbled. "I just wish the Reapers could start attacking other systems already".

"They appear to understand us more than we do ourselves" Thane commented. "Are you here for any particular business?"

"At the Citadel? Yeah, to get scolded by the Council… I can't say much but let us say I might have been present on one of the most embarrassing military tragedies of Salarian STGs" Shepard shook his head. "What about you? How is life treating you?"

"For the time being, it has been kind" Thane replied.

"Ehm… how long do you have?" Shepard awakwardly asked. "Last time we talked you told me you had like six months – and that was almost nine months ago".

"At this point, It is uncertain. As you said, my timelimit should have come to pass… and yet it seems the gods have graced me with extra months" the Drell answered with morbid fascination. "It is strange… I had managed to find solace in my death. And now that my time nears, my only regret is that I will not be present for fight when I would have been needed the most…"

"What about your son?" The Commander wondered.

"He has volunteered to work at another hospital and he visits me regularly" Thane, with a hint of pride, declared. "Other than that, I've been training Kolyat – preparing him for the Reapers. Given to my advanced stage of Kepral Syndrome, I fear I might not be enough for what he needs to learn".

Shepard felt sympathetic for the drell. For a skilled assassin, Thane Krios was suffering from a slow degenerative disease. The time was the worst part, probably: he would probably die when the Reapers would get serious, leaving his son alone in a war that would spell the end of entire civilizations. That was not something any father would have wanted.

"Have you got any news from anyone else of the crew?" Shepard asked.

"No" Thane smiled at Shepard apologetically. "As a matter of fact, I doubt anyone knows I'm here. After all, Thane Krios is elsewhere at the moment".

"Ah" Was all that Shepard could say, before sighing. Thane noticed this.

"You sound concerned" Thane remarked.

"It's… it's Tali and – and Cerberus" the Commander said. "That and a whole problem that is gathering with the Krogans".

"You will succeed, Shepard. Of that, I am sure" Thane stated. If there was one thing Shepard liked about talking with Thane, it was the Drell's positive outview.

"I wish I was as confident as you" Shepard muttered. He looked at the time on his omni-tool, groaning at the numbers displayed. "I have to go".

"Good luck in your hunting, Shepard" Thane offered warmly.

"You take it easy there, alright?" Shepard patted the drell on the shoulder.

"Perhaps I should offer that same wisdom to you" the Drell suggested. "Although it is well known common wisdom is not something that applies to you".

Shepard chuckled. "See you around, then" he stood up, disappointed by the short time he had with his friend.

"You know where to find me if you wish to speak with a friend" Thane replied.

The Commander glared at the omni-tool as he entered the elevator. The galaxy should bloody learn to function without him…

"Is that Shepard?" "Wow, he looks tougher than on vids" Shepard rolled his eyes as he walked past the people on dock D24. Most where Alliance men and workers. They were, after all, the only ones granted access there. Sadly, between the relatives being there to send their brave sons, brothers and fathers away and the regular dock-worker, there were more than enough people. "Holy crap, it's Shepard…"

 _Oh boy_ , Shepard mentally muttered. He really hoped none became replicates of Conrad Verner. Now that was something Shepard would thoroughly feel scared about. The mere thought made him shudder.

"Commander? Commander Shepard!" A pretty looking journalist wearing what could be described a dress to match Miranda Lawson's body-suit called with a nasal accent. "May I speak with you?"

A floating camera-drone hanged over her shoulders. It was clear she was some type of journalist. Regardless, Shepard was surprised he had even been given clearance. Heck, he didn't even know there were journalists in the citadel that wore a white short dress with so much skin exposed. Most women preferred to follow the Asari trends in clothing, which revealed cleaveges and most of the torso while covering most of the legs. At least, that was the general trend he had seen – he could be wrong. In the end, curiosity got the better of him. Shepard was all too appreciative of scantly clad ladies, but this one seemed a bit out of place.

"Commander Shepard, I'm Diana Allers, from Battlespace" the woman, excitedly, introduced herself. Something about her access was… irksome, like she had a potato stuck on her mouth, unable to swallow it, and thus decided to speak through it.

"A-ha" Shepard slowly nodded. "Did you want to speak with me?"

"Why yes, Commander, you see, my producers want me at the forefront of our efforts to retake Earth so they want me to join one of the Alliance's ships – I want that ship to be the Normandy" Diana explained.

"No" Shepard shook his head, turning around.

"B-but you haven't heard my reasons why!" Diana exclaimed, flabbergasted.

Shepard sighed, looking at the woman. "Diana, I can't have a journalist on my ship. Half the things that go on my ship are confidential" he grunted. "The other half are private". Just the idea of a journalist getting wind about the whole debacle at Sur'Kesh made Shepard shiver.

"I have Alliance clearance AND it is not like you won't have veto power on what I produce" she showed her credentials with a reassuring smile.

Shepard raised an eyebrow, eyeing the woman from top to bottom. He really didn't like judging women this way, but he was not exactly confident Allers' could have gotten this much clearance (and bloody officially) without any type of foul play. The dress didn't quench his wild imagination.

"The Alliance has long worked to increase its transparency so they created this position, Commander" Allers huffed good-naturedly, rolling her eyes. By the smirk gracing her face, Shepard's musings didn't go unnoticed "Don't worry, I get that look all the time".

Shepard raised an eyebrow. "Yeah… the answer is still no. I don't answer to JUST the Alliance and most of what I deal with concerns more than the Alliance" he sighed.

"Commander, wars can be won or lost at the editing room – you need someone to help you spread the word about the Reapers, and I am that woman for the job" Diana confidently said.

Shepard squinted at her. "Are you really?" Shepard wasn't exactly sold, but she was right. The Reapers were using misinformation against the people. If he could get some footage or someone reporting on live action to wake people up… and propaganda. Shepard needed good lots of it to spread his message and support and perhaps improve his own standing in the galaxy, something he needed if he wanted to rally everyone against the Reapers.

"Oh yes, believe it" Diana smirked, looking triumphant. "Maybe I should tell you about the time I made an Elcor cry".

Shepard closed his eyes. He was going to regret this. "Alright, we'll run a field test. However, I warn you. It doesn't work out, I will be obliged to kill you and space your body" Shepard replied.

"Of course, I under- you aren't joking" Diana blinked, surprised.

"Yeah, and I'll be having someone" Shepard started smirking as he came up with exactly who "keeping constant tabs on what you decide to tell. Once you enter my ship, Ms Allers, you won't be able to leave without my authorization and clearance. Moreover, I will block and control all incoming and outgoing communications, understood?"

"I- I understand" Ms Allers slowly nodded.

"Good" Shepard's smirk looked plainly evil. "We will be leaving in half an hour. You are only allowed a footlocker of personal property, am I clear?"

"Yes, sir" Diana saluted.

* * *

"Commander" Samantha Traynor called Shepard as he tiredly trudged over to the elevator.

"Yes?" He looked at the communication's specialist.

"General Victus has opened a top-security channel. He wished to speak with you. From what I understand from Turian messaging, it has been flaged as urgent" Traynor, looking nervous, told the Commander.

Shepard frowned, but nodded nonetheless. Hurrying over to the com-room, he wondered what could possibly going on. The War Room was empty, giving it a rather scary look with only dim lights on the ground. Shepard didn't give it much thought – these days the dark didn't appear to bother him. EDI though apparently didn't appreciate his captain walking in the dark. She lit the way over to the com-room, making the Commander raise an eyebrow at the ceiling.

"Thank you, EDI" he told the ceiling. There was no response.

"Victus" Shepard sighed as the holographic image of the turian materialized on the projector.

"Shepard" the General greeted. He sounded worried and shaken. "I need of your ship for a stealth mission".

"Stealth mission? Victus I'll be needing some details here" Shepard replied with a raised eyebrow and crossed arms.

"It is not the time for joking" Victus growled. "This is a matter of galactic peace! A turian ship was shot down… on Tuchanka. I need you to retrieve…" he paused, struggling for a moment "search for survivors, without drawing the attention of the Krogans".

"Wow, hold on a moment – turians? On Tuchanka? Where were they doing?" Shepard frowned. He could a smell political disaster oozing out of this mission.

Victus' mandibles pressed against his cheeks, a sign of reluctance. "It is classified" he stated.

"General, please, I am only trying to help here" Shepard squinted at the general. "Hold on, you said that they were shot down… but that the Krogans don't know about their presence? And last I knew, Krogans didn't have anti-air defences – or at least they weren't supposed to…" The General looked as sour as a sour turian could be. Shepard glared at Victus, leaning forward. "Spill it, General – who shot your soldiers down?"

"Cerberus"

Shepard closed his eyes and took a deep calming breath. Just what was it with Cerberus being all around and causing this much problems?

"You've got to be kidding me" he muttered. "They are on Tuchanka?" The better question was why he hadn't been informed about that.

"It might be worse than that" Victus confessed dryly. "Initial reports had suggested Cerberus had an operational base in Tuchanka and that they were… dealing with something that could reignite the Krogan rebellions". Shepard's eyes widened. "Yes, Commander, that bad" the General added soberly. "From additional information gathered, Cerberus has also constructed a massive anti-aircraft gun on Tuchanka".

"The one that took down your men" Shepard guessed.

"Exactly. From what my sources have informed me, the Krogan are unaware of the presence of Cerberus on their planet – but it would be foolish not to assume they had inside help to settle there in the numbers they have" Victus carried on. "The AA cannon was a surprise but it only opens new questions. There is no telling what other secret bases are on Tuchanka's surface".

"Why haven't you told Wrex about the AA gun?" Shepard wondered.

"Because it would lead the Krogans to the other… base" Victus grumbled reluctantly. "Trust me, we do not want the Krogans finding what Cerberus is dealing with on that base… not if we want the Krogans alive for when we fight the Reapers".

"Alright, for the time being I'll rescue your men – I am headed to Tuchanka in any case. You better tell me what is so important to keep from the Krogans, Victus, because I am planning on searching that Cerberus base myself if I have to" he stated "and maybe with Wrex's support this time".

Victus flapped his mandibles irritably. He hated being in a weak negotiating position. With an air of defeat, he said: "a bomb".

"A bomb?" Shepard raised an eyebrow. "Cerberus is building a bomb?"

"No, they are digging one up" Victus growled softly. While he stood with pride, Shepard had spent enough time around turians to know Victus was projecting shame "One the Hierarchy buried centuries ago in case the Krogans ever rebelled again…"

"You mean… this is a massive bomb then" Shepard's eyes widened to such extent they threatened to pop out of their sockets. Was such a bomb even possible?

"Yes, capable of destroying the entire planet" Victus nodded.

"W-Why is Cerberus doing this?" Shepard frowned, utterly confused. "It doesn't make any sense!"

"Unless they wish to use such powerful bomb elsewhere" the General pointed out.

"I… I really am not following Cerberus actions here" Shepard admitted. "But that will come later. Give me the coordinates of your men. I promise you we will go do this as secretly as possible".

"Thank you, Commander" Victus sounded relieved by that. "With the best STG agents killed on Sur'Kesh, you are the Hierarchy's best hope – Victus out".

And as the image dissipated, Shepard's frown returned. Cerberus builed an AA gun? Why? To protect the bomb extraction? No, that couldn't be it – too much money and time for such an operation. It didn't make sense. Nothing did. What was Cerberus end goal? On Sur'Kesh they had been after the female, and now they are after Tuchanka's bomb… was Cerberus trying to make sure that the Krogans never returned to power? But why would the Illusive Man want that… unless he was indoctrinated. After all, with Krogans out of the picture, the Reapers would have an easier time with this cycle.

There was also the whole deal with the bomb. It wasn't enough to spread the Genophage. They actually had to dig a bomb to blow all krogans to kingdom come in case they got uppity? This was getting ridiculous. For a moment, he was tempted on telling Wrex. However, a part of him didn't really trust the Warlord – or at least his seconds in command – would be rational about it. Shepard needed the Krogan for the coming war. First was first, he had a planet to save, Cerberus butt to kick and a female Krogan to deliver.

It was with his head deep in thought that Shepard entered the med-bay where Mordin was busy working on something, while the female Krogan stared at him, with wide eyes. She seemed amazed by everything around her, almost childishly so. As he entered, her attention jumped to him.

"Commander, good to see you" Mordin replied with a smile. "Checking on my patient?"

"Yes" Shepard nodded, approaching the female Krogan. "I never got your name".

"Bakara, Urdnot Bakara" the young female replied with a hint of happiness. "You are the famous Commander Shepard" she added quickly, almost in awe.

Shepard frowned. "You know about me?" He asked.

"All Krogan clans know about you – you are Urdnot Grunt's Krantt – you stood against a Thresher Maw on foot and killed it. You destroyed Clan Weyrloc. Urdnot Wrex has also told us many tales about you, like how you fought the creatures of metal – the Geth – killing them in the thousands" she retold, turning to Mordin. "Doctor Solus too told many stories about your deeds, like how you led the finest warriors of the galaxy against the Collectors – you are a warrior like no other".

This fascination was almost childish, to a worrisome degree. Was this Krogan a child? For some reason, Shepard found that would be an awkward situation. Oversized reptilian killing machines were a common thing for Shepard, but children? Forget it.

"Really, Mordin?" Shepard turned to smile at the doctor.

"She enjoys stories" Mordin replied. "Retold a few to calm her down at times. Nervous around Salarians, at first. Understandable. Bakara was interested in you, Shepard. I simply indulged her".

"I don't want to sound rude but… how old are you?" Shepard queried.

"Seventeen standard galactic years" Bakara replied.

Shepard's eyes widened. Oh boy, yet another pubescent Krogan on his ship? Just his luck. "I was kind of expecting centuries or something" he commented.

"No, pubescent hormonal phase extremely convenient for regeneration. Older females too old for bodies to adapt against Maelon's treatments. She survived because she was young" Mordin clarified.

"How did you end up in Maelon's lab?" Shepard inquired "if it isn't much problem asking…"

The young Krogan groaned, hiding her face between her legs as she hugged herself. There was an air of self-admonishment around her, but also the faint hint of regret. "I was stupid. I escaped the female camp when I saw the chance and…" she sighed wearily.

"Why did you do that?" Shepard tilted his head. As far as he understood Krogan society, women and children were excessively protected by the males, most of the time being well-hidden. It was one of the reasons one didn't see female Krogans outside of Tuchanka. That and most females dedicated their lives to breeding to keep Krogan numbers up- or at least not in decline.

"I had always loved stories" Bakara said sorrowfully. "All I ever wanted was to… to escape, to leave the camp. You don't know how depressing it can be there, always trapped, with guards everywhere… I hated it". She glared at her feet "I- I just didn't want to – to lay eggs… to live a life trapped in the camp laying eggs praying to whatever deity was on our skies that one of them might be given life.

"I didn't know where to go… maybe I thought an alien would pick me up and take me to see other worlds" Bakara softly carried on. "I was an idiot. Clan Weyrloc captured me and- and then forced me to do exactly what I wanted to avoid". Shepard rubbed the back of his neck. Alright, this story was worse than he had hoped for. "Thank the Void that none of my eggs were blessed" she spat derisively.

"Because I was Clan Urdnot, the other females shunned me. When Maelon asked for females for her experiments, the female leader didn't take long to drag me herself to that Salarian" Bakara grumbled, glaring at the feet.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked" Shepard whispered.

"I'm thankful you did, and I don't regret leaving the camp. I might have suffered a gruesome ordeal, but so is the fate of all females on Tuchanka. If I hadn't left the camp, or given to Maelon, I would have never met you…" she looked around at the ship "or seen other worlds…"

Shepard remained grimly staring at the poor Krogan. Mordin, humming on his working station, seemed undisturbed. Bakara too didn't seem to put much thought about what she had just said.

"Commander" Bakara suddenly said, turning to look at the man. "You wouldn't mind if I asked a hard question of my own, would you?"

Shepard smiled kindly at her and shook her head. "Ask away" he told her.

"Is it true that you went into the Void and returned?" Bakara wondered.

Shepard blinked. What would the Void imply? Death?

"Void, superstitious belief of a dark after-world where the essence of our actions depart to" Mordin quickly added, his back turned to Shepard as he carried on with his own work. "Part of Krogan cultural cynicism. Quite fascinating".

"Y-You mean, if I died?" Shepard rubbed the back of his neck. This was not what he wanted to talk to. Then again, she had opened up to him. The least he could do was answer in kind. "Yeah, I died – some time ago" he nodded slowly.

"Do you remember anything about that time?" Bakara wondered, intrigued. Shepard shook his head. "You must have been an incredible soul if you managed to leave the Void…" she commented soberly.

"Perhaps son of Human God, right Shepard?" Mordin sent a teasing smile at the Commander.

"Are you calling me Space Jesus or something, Mordin?" Shepard chuckled. "Don't spread it around. I wouldn't be surprised someone starts the Cult of Shepard through this war". _If it hasn't already_ , he shuddered.

"I don't see what would be the problem" Bakara told the Commander. "It would suggest you are a strong male - something to be proud of… many females would be willing to provide you with many children. That's a good thing".

"Yeah, but I am monogamous" Shepard retorted. "I don't want a harem of women".

Bakara seemed utterly confused at that. "Why not? It is the premise of life: to survive. And what is that of monogamous?"

"Monogamy, behaviour in regards to mating in which one male and one female ascertain not to mate with anyone else" Mordin offered. "Impedes genetic combination, ensures stable societal unit: the family".

"Why would you do that?" Bakara frowned at the Commander. "There can always be a better female waiting to be discovered, and it limits how many children you can have, Commander".

Shepard was really feeling uncomfortable and had the strong urge to call for evac, or at least reinforcements. This was NOT a topic he wanted to discuss. From one point of view, he kind of understood where Bakara was coming from: a world where every child was precious – where every female was forced to see over nine hundred dead babies before they even got the chance to hug a live one of their own. Bakara and Krogans probably envied how other females didn't have that problem – the Genophage haunting over them.

"It's a social thing, Bakara – some of it I can't really explain" Shepard awkwardly answered. "Let's just say that polygamy isn't exactly a good thing in human societies".

"Aliens" Bakara sighed resigned. "But you do have a mate? It is hard to believe a warrior of your level to be without a mate – or children."

"Well, yes, I do – a mate, not children… though we were forced apart" Shepard grumbled.

"Tell me about her" Bakara pleaded immensely curious. "Any female human that has been able to be granted the honour of being your only mate must have been an impressive find".

Alright, now this was downright embarrassing. Here he was, Shepard, talking to a female Krogan about his love life. There were many hours left until they got to Tuchanka, and it wasn't like Shepard had anywhere better to be. He had yet to debrief his companions, but most were probably sleeping or goofing over across the ship – they always did when leaving a port.

"Her name is Tali'Zorah. She's not human – she's a Quarian and… yeah, she is impressive" Shepard reluctantly confessed.

"A quarian?" Bakara tilted her head. "Aren't they the – the aliens that are cursed into their armours? The ones that look like Turians?" Shepard nodded dubiously. In his eyes, they didn't look anything like Turians. "But… how? And why did you mate with her? She is alien to you and… she can't give you children".

It all boils down to that with Krogan, doesn't it? Then again, female Krogans could produce over a thousand eggs in one year, so they had quite the instinctual drive to breed. It probably relates to their culture stronger than it did within humans… maybe it was because of that that the Genophage caused such cultural genocide on Krogans.

Still, Bakara was kind of right. It was odd he had fallen for a Quarian of all people. With their weak immune systems they were trapped within environmental suits most of their lives. They were also dextro-amino lifeforms, complicating their odds in a mostly levo-amino galaxy. Seen as thieves and vagrants, they had been forced out of their planets by their own creations, the Geth, and thus were additionally cursed to mourn for centuries across the stars.

"It started with respect" Shepard began the tale, taking a seat on an empty chair. Where had Chakwas and Michele gone to? "When we first meet, she was a young woman on a Rite of Passage of her people, the Pilgrimage. She had been running for her life, had witness a good lot of friends and acquaintances being slaughtered and was in a place where people held her with contempt… and yet she pressed on with a brave face. I rescued her from a trap and, well, invited her to my ship – although it wasn't mine at the time.

"She had proven herself to be a good fighter and she was an expert on the Geth, so it was merely a good idea back then. That and I felt thankful towards her. She singlehandedly helped me expose a Rogue Spectre and make me the first Human Spectre thanks to her bravery and talents" Shepard retold with a fond smile. "I learned more about her people as we hunted down Saren, the Rogue Spectre" - Bakara nodded, conveying she knew who Saren was – "and I started seeing her in a new light… it was back at the SR-1 where I really grew to respect her as a woman more so than a Quarian… I didn't see her like a potential love interest – a mate, you would call it. My eyes were… ehm… elsewhere" he paused, shaking his head.

"Then I died" Shepard rubbed the bridge of his nose, conflicting emotions bubbling up on his face. "And I was brought back by those I had hunted down, an organization that had done horrible things thinking it was for the good of humanity – something like Maelon but for humans". Bakara gave a grim nod of understanding. "The galaxy I woke up to was screwed up from the get-go. The guns were all different" Mordin scoffed "and my old crew, and the person I – I thought I loved had all changed… except her. She was somewhat tougher, and more tired now that she had become officially a Quarian woman… but it was her alright. Maybe that is what drew me to Tali in the end, wanting to get back that which I had lost with my revival…" he trailed off.

"And what was that?" Bakara queried, leaning forward.

"Myself" Shepard. Mordin grumbled something in an undertone about 'romantic clichéd hormonal primates'. "I had lost everything that made me Commander Shepard, heck including the title. Tali reminded me that not all that is lost can't be regained".

"I hope to one day meet her… although I suggest you do find another female to bear your children – a human" Bakara stated. "It would be a bad galaxy if your blood doesn't live elsewhere after your death. Keep the quarian, though, she sounds like a good female to have".

Shepard rolled his eyes. He should have seen that coming.

* * *

The War Room was, in Shepard's eyes, quite the waste of space, money and energy. It was too large, too many ongoing consoles, and with only one massive projector at the middle. At one point, Shepard could admit it might come handy if he gathered a dozen generals and Admirals with their aids to discuss tactics and strategies – then it would have come handy. As it was, Shepard felt like he really missed Mordin's old lab… and so did Mordin.

Still, Shepard did find one use for the War Room and that was debriefing. Thus, he used it as they were closing in to Tuchanka. With the entire ground team gathered, plus EDI, Cortez and Traynor, surrounding the central Projector, Shepard starting telling them the good and bad news.

"Well, team, we've got ourselves another complicated mission" Shepard told them.

"Was there any other reason to summon us here?" Nyreen Kandros, clad in pitch-black armour, asked truly confused. Garrus, leisurely leaning back with his arms crossed next to her, shook his head. The poor female compatriot had a lot to learn.

"Tuchanka, folks" Shepard informed the gathered people. "Apparently, we've got quite the things to deal there".

"Wait, we aren't just returning the female krogan to her clan?" Ashley queried.

"No, a small Turian ship that was flying below orbit got itself shot. We are going to rescue the survivors, before any Krogan gets a hint of their scent" Shepard told the gathered people.

"Turians? On Tuchanka?" Garrus's mandibles slowly opened and closed, a sign of being lost in thought.

"Wow, wow, wow, Loco, there are Turians lost in the Krogan home-world and the Krogans don't know they are there? Ehmm… am I the only one a bit confused here?" James dumbly remarked.

"They were probably on a secret operation in the planet – it is not uncommon for Salarians and Turians to move in and out of the planet, mostly reconnaissance and to keep constant surveillance on the Krogan Clans" Liara explained. "This must have been one of those missions… one that went wrong".

"What happened, though?" Ashley frowned. "If they have been doing that many times… what went wrong?"

"Cerberus" Shepard stated. Immediately, everyone stiffened and straightened up.

"What are they doing there?" Samantha asked, worried.

"They seem all over the place" Cortez commented next to her.

"They aren't just all over the place" Shepard grunted. "They have a functional AA gun and an operational base as far as General Victus told me".

"Shouldn't we be telling Wrex about this?" Ashley queried.

"No, not yet. The base… the one the turians were headed to… it has one of the Hierarchy's dirtiest secrets to date" Shepard told her. "As much as I respect Wrex, until all the turians are off-world and this – this problem is diffused" (strange choice of words) "I don't want the Krogans in on this. I fear it could spell the end of Clans' alliance if they even got a whiff of what is in that base".

"Huh" James turned to Garrus, who looked mystified. "So you guys also play dirty".

"In war, who doesn't?" Garrus replied. "Although I can't imagine what the Hierarchy might have done…" he trailed off, lost in his musings.

"What's the plan?" Liara inquired.

"The AA gun will have to be dealt with for last. The base is more urgent – that and once we have dealt with the problem I will tell Wrex and hopefully the Krogans will deal with it on their own" Shepard told them. "I rather not mess the element of surprise until we have attacked this base".

"Nyreen" the turian straightened up. "You and Liara will go with Cortez on the shuttle and get the survivors out" the two biotics nodded at each other. "In the meantime, Garrus, Ashley, James and I will move on foot to the base and deal with Cerberus' base – Traynor and EDI will work to hack into the com channels and gather as much intel as we can. There must be some chatter between the AA gun and the base. Maybe we can get a scope on the size of the bulk of Cerberus forces on Tuchanka".

"Shepard, the surviving turian will want to carry on with their mission – if what you said about this base is true" Garrus remarked. "It will be their duty to see their mission accomplished".

"Then I suppose they will be our reinforcements" Shepard told his turian friend. "Cerberus must know that they took down turians, so they could already be preparing and rallying soldiers to protect their base. We can't delay much longer… not with what is at stake".

"Why don't you tell us what all of this is about?" Ashley asked.

Shepard looked at the people around him, grimly waiting. Should he? Could he confide in them? Well, he had always been a good judge of character and he trusted them all so… what was to lose?

"This is confidential, understand?" He told them. They all nodded, looking pale and uncertain. "It would seem…" he sighed "that the turians had a plan B if the Krogans ever cured the Genophage and rebelled again… a massive planet-shattering bomb".

There was a moment of silence.

"…my God" Traynor gasped.

"Cerberus has the bomb?!" Ashley exclaimed, fearful. Shepard nodded.

"Madre Santa" James mumbled, wide-eyed. "No wonder Krogans want to shoot your people that badly" he told Garrus.

"The Krogan Rebellion were one of the bloodiest wars in our history" Garrus stated. "The Krogan had started using asteroids on our colonies and had pushed our forces back to our home-system… it makes sense for the Hierarchy to make sure that history would never repeat itself".

"And now Cerberus possesses the bomb" Liara softly said, looking beyond concerned. "Would they blow Tuchanka? It would remove the Krogans from the conflict altogether and make it easier for the Reapers to take over the rest of the galaxy".

"Nah, this is Cerberus. They rather keep the bomb and use it somewhere else" Ashley said as she shook her head.

"That's my guess on all of this, but we might never be certain. EDI and Traynor might find something to help us find out more about Cerberus' operations, though" Shepard replied. "I still can't wrap what Cerberus is trying to accomplish…"

"Whatever it is, it can't be good for the rest of the galaxy" Nyreen commented.

"Indeed" Shepard agreed. "Alright, if there aren't any other questions… you are dismissed".

* * *

 **/Author Note: you might be curious about a few things at this point. Probably, about Bakara and the Genophage, between other things. For starters, the genophage doesn't define Krogans as fertile or infertile but rather it affects all Krogan in a matter of probability, meaning that one baby in a thousand will be viable while the rest remain as dead eggs.**

 **Bakara here isn't a Shaman of the female clan, not because I didn't like the original idea, but I did find it strange that a Shaman, a person with a responsibility to the clan, would desert her role to be a decoy. Moreover, the Krogans don't use women as decoys (at least in this story). Because viable births are a matter of probability, clans seek to have the most females so as to increase the odds of having high living children. Thus, the Krogans don't exactly leave women to be captured by other clans.**


	7. Chapter 7: Deadly Mistakes

**Chapter VII: Deadly Mistakes**

The planet was a wasteland. That was the best and only way to describe it as Shepard trudged across the ruins of some ancient city. He looked around at the dust, the boulders, the ugly-looking pieces of buildings and filth of centuries of decadence, all under the intense annoying sun. What species could be forced to live in such a place? At least his helmet impeded most of the unpleasantness of the place from reaching his face. Yet, thinking about Bakara living in Tuchanka somewhere similar to there…

He looked at his omni-tool for a moment. No signs of drones or chatter in the air. Shepard sighed. They were probably too far away for any of it. The team of four had their helmets on, just like in Sur'Kesh. It was standard policy to always have tightly sealed helmets and suits on when landing on home-worlds or places that had life. One never knew when he or she was carrying or catching a disease, after all. Sometimes the disease in question might not affect the local population or the visitor to the planet but someone elsewhere.

"No wonder Krogans are tough" Ashleys suddenly said, sounding a bit winded after so much rubble-climbing and struggling with the uneven floor. "Just look at this place. No time to being pansies I guess".

James snorted with amusement. "A pansy Krogan…"

Ashley chuckled at the mental image.

"You know, Ash, I actually came across a Krogan that liked poetry" Shepard, with grin, told the man. "Heck, when I saw him he was spouting the cheesy love type".

"You what?" James asked. "Geez, Loco, you really have been to places".

"A poet Krogan… damn, skipper" Ashley, through the coms, remarked. "You really had some fun without me, huh?" There was a hint of guilt with that.

"Oh, you have no idea" Garrus chimed, leading the line of four individuals. "Especially the places where there was someone shooting at us, which was most of the time, or the local wild-life. There was this one time we were supposed to simply scavenge this ship that had crashed on some planet – we ended up discovering a rogue VI that had started taking over Mechs and killing people. Or that one time we stopped some batarian terrorists from launching nuclear missiles to a human colony".

"Or when we walked into a Reaper? Remember that time, Garrus?" Shepard casually asked.

"Now you are pulling my leg" James grunted. Garrus and Shepard remained quiet as they marched on. "Ehmm… you are joking, right? A Reaper? Really?"

"Yeah. The Batarians had discovered it some time ago and had a team of scientists studying in it – like you might have guessed, the crew became indoctrinated. The Illusive Man sent us thinking they might had a malfunction and it was the best time to see if they had come up with anything of value. At the time, we had no idea it was an actual Reaper" Shepard retold.

"I remember you telling us that it was supposed to be an ancient ship from a past cycle" Garrus muttered angrily. "Imagine my surprise when Shepard looked at me and said 'Garrus, I think this is a Reaper'". Ashley and James laughed at that. Shepard grinned behind his mask. "I didn't believe him until we stepped inside and a batarian Husk tried to slice my throat".

"The batarians were studying a dead Reaper?" Ashley asked.

"Yes" Shepard replied. "If I have to guess, the reason Karshan fell the way it did might have to do with those indoctrinated that left the Reaper prior to the whole incident. A pity we ended up having to blow it to pieces – imagine having gone to the Citadel with intel on the Reaper".

"The Council would have called it an Ancient Geth construct, no doubt" Garrus grumbled. "Or maybe change their excuse from Geth to Prothean".

The four remained quiet as they proceeded through the terrain. It was like they were standing on the remnants of a megatropolis of a time long past where Krogans had them. A city full of Krogans was… it was not something Shepard had an easy time imagining. Millions of Krogans, walking down the streets, going to a job here or an office there… for some reason he pictured Wrex in a human suit and a matching suitcase. Why this mental image had glasses and a hat? He had no idea – maybe the surrounding air had some madness-inducing chemical?

Shepard's omni-tool bleeped. "Take cover!" He hissed. James and Ashley hurried over underneath a fallen pillar while Garrus crawled under some boulders. Shepard followed suit. No sooner they were out of sight, they all heard the tell-tale hum of a flying drone. It buzzed overhead before apparently rushing away. Shepard carefully peeped from where he hid before checking on his omni-tool. "Nothing… we are getting closer".

And indeed, they were. Merely a hundred feet ahead they stopped and, crawling, found themselves hiding on an ancient building of stone, under the shadows of its first floor. Further away, visibly to them, was what could have been described as a massive metal construct hanging over a huge hole on the group. A large drill rested at one side.

"Look at the size of that thing" Ashley whispered.

"Sniper rifles" Shepard told them. "Hold your fire; first we scout". The four, equipped for the occasion, did as told and started studying the Cerberus camp (it was hard to call it a base).

On an elevated platform, next to what Shepard assumed was the bomb, were four Cerberus operatives. Much to his dread, two quarian Engineers busied themselves on computer terminals. Behind them, clad in heavy armour, was a human Centurion next to an Assault Trooper.

"Snipers, two o'clock – over that pillar" James hissed.

Indeed, walking peacefully was a slim figure – a human woman – clad in black. In her hands was a long weapon that could only be described as a sniper rifle.

"More quarians…" Garrus muttered in an undertone.

Shepard, through his scope, kept studying the camp. They appear to be using a nearby structure as a headquarters of sorts and the perimeter was guarded by the soldiers, patrolling in trios. There didn't seem to be any turians around.

"Eh – Shepard, you might want to check this" James mumbled. He looked at Shepard who nodded for him to show him. The large marine pointed to where to look and, taking a deep breath, Shepard complied.

Stomping on the ground on its way to the elevated platform was – what was hard to miss – a Krogan. A Krogan clad in Cerberus armour. He had a shotgun on his back and carried a hammer of sorts on one hand. The most surprising thing was perhaps the shield on the other hand. If Shepard had to guess, that shield was thick enough and of a special alloy that would stop bullets. That is to say, that Krogan was a mobile cover.

"They have Krogans now?" James asked, worried.

"I miss the old days when Cerberus was too xenophobic for that" Garrus muttered. "I don't see much of a resistance, Shepard. We could take them".

"I counted fifteen, and those are the ones we can see. I bet a thousand credits inside their perimeter there are four times that number, at least" Ashley replied, shaking her head.

"They already have the bomb in the open – if we don't hurry they might take it away, or worse, use it now" Garrus declared.

"Something isn't right" Shepard frowned. "What are they waiting for…?" He looked straight ahead, at the bomb without the scope.

Raising his gun to look at the distance, he concentrated on the quarians working on their computers. The human Centurion appeared to be asking something. One of the quarians turned around and appeared to retort something. The Centurion didn't like the answer, looking exasperated. He turned around and focused on the bomb nearby.

"What are those two quarians trying to do?" Shepard wondered.

"Beats me – hacking the bomb?" James suggested.

"How do you hack a bomb? That thing is… how many years old? It can't possibly still have a power source" Ashley rebutted.

"No, it still works – and they probably are trying to override the controls. It might take them a while. I doubt the Hierarchy would allow anyone to be able to set the bomb off" Garrus stated.

"Heads up, shuttles incoming" James warned them.

They all fell flat on the floor and returned to stare into the enemy's camp with their sniper rifles. Indeed, four shuttles with the Cerberus symbol hovered down next to the bomb. Instead of soldiers walking out, however, they saw soldiers from inside the nearby building walking towards the shuttles, carrying all sorts of equipment.

"They are evacuating" Ashley concluded.

"They must be almost done" Garrus added. "That isn't good for us".

Shepard focused his scope on the quarians. It felt wrong seeing quarians clad in Cerberus uniform working for such organization. As he studied them, he noticed one of the quarians turn to the Centurion, who was still staring with an air of contemplation at the bomb, and said something – drawing the attention of the human. The Centurion seemed surprised.

"What's going on?" James suddenly queried.

Shepard frowned and moved his aim to the people below. What had been a calm evacuation suddenly became a frantic one. He looked back at the ones on the platform and saw the two quarians climbing onto one of the legs holding the bomb and moving onto over the thing itself. Meanwhile the entire base became lively as many of those they hadn't seen suddenly came out into the light. There were three extra Krogans and two other Quarians working for Cerberus. These were in a minority with the vast majority being human, plus a handful of turians. It was disturbing to see such diversity with the bold insignia of Cerberus. Still, two quarians was to high number, at least to Shepard.

The shuttles took off with still a lot of Cerberus troops moving around. It was clear by the looks of it that they were lifting camp – intending to move quickly. Shepard was utterly confused as he refocused on the quarians working on the top of the bomb. A fifth shuttle that had been behind the building took off and went to hover onto the bomb. The doors at the sides opened and thick, strong ropes fell onto the quarians – although they appeared to be some type of special chain. The pair quickly started attaching them to the bomb.

They were actually going to have the bomb hanging? Shepard was admittedly baffled by that. Then again, that bomb was too large to find in a shuttle and maybe Cerberus was simply planning on moving it somewhere else for a proper extraction. That and the bomb was still hanging on its large platform and over a massive pit.

"They have the bomb ready to move!" Ashley exclaimed. "I'll take the shot. We must kill those two engineers before…"

"No! Are you crazy? They are on a planet-destroying bomb!" Shepard cried out, forcibly grabbing Ashley's rifle and pulling it down.

"W-what? If we don't do anything, they are going to take the bomb" Ashley, surprised, told the Commander.

"She is right, Shepard" Garrus nodded.

"Whatever you do, do it now" James, with growing anxiety, said.

He couldn't bring himself to kill quarians. He just couldn't. Tali would never forgive him for that and he just couldn't… No, he couldn't give the order. Shepard looked at the bomb, the two quarians were close to finishing fastening the central part of the hanging bomb onto the shuttle's ropes.

"That's it, I'm taking the shot!" James shouted.

BANG. One moment two quarians with the Cerberus insignias boldly showing on their shoulders worked diligent and quietly on the ropes (or where they chains?) in their hands when, all of a sudden, one of them fell to a side. The other one was utterly startled. The entire camp froze for a moment. Then the fallen quarian sat up, frightened out of his wits, and looking around. He could have sworn he felt a mass-accelerated round miss him by an inch.

Ashley, Garrus and James looked at Shepard, gobsmacked. The Commander himself looked down at his hand, his heart skipping a beat as he realized it was holding the barrel of James' rifle. He had moved it in the nick of time… making James miss. His eyes widened. Why had he done that?

The four didn't have much more time to deliberate when suddenly they were attacked. It was like a rain of bullets. Dust fell on them as they struck the building's material.

"Fall back!" Shepard ordered. And they did.

"What the hell was that?!" Ashley cried out at the top of her lungs as they slid down a fallen pillar. She stood up and waited for the Commander behind her to reach the ground. "Why did you do that?!"

"Now is not the time" Garrus growled, pushing the pair forward.

And indeed, it was not. Four drones buzzed around the building, their attached guns opening fire at the group. The team moved to cover, avoiding the deadly barrage. Shepard and the others answered with their guns, making easy work of the drones.

"Come on, we must stop them from getting the bomb!" Ashley roared, moving out of cover and towards the direction of Cerberus' camp.

"Ashley!" Shepard cried out. But it was too late, she was dozens of metres away. "Damn it!" He swore, following after her. Garrus and James, who didn't know what was what, went after him, close behind.

When Shepard caught up with Ashley, she was trapped behind cover (a large boulder) as Cerberus troops shoot at her across a large empty street. He had to quickly duck as he saw a red laser aimed straight at him. It was just in time as the floor behind him suddenly exploded, leaving a large hole. As he tried to take a peek at the enemies in front, he noticed something being thrown at Ashley's position… skipping on the hard gravel and twinkling with a red light. It took Shepard longer than it should to realize that it was a grenade.

"ASHLEY!" Shepard cried out. Ashley turned her head to Shepard, their eyes the only thing visibly meeting for a brief instant before her attention was drawn to the cylindrical thing bleeping a few feet away from her. Her eyes widened… and looked at Shepard. That was when the grenade exploded.

"No!" Shepard yelled at the large cloud of dust that covered Ashley's position. When the dust settled, all Shepard could see what the limp body of Ashley, sprawled ten feet away from where she had been, without moving. His world stopped. "No, no" he told himself, horrified.

When had been the last time he had lost someone in his command? No. She couldn't be dead! He gritted his teeth and his world shifted to a blood-red. Charging with a loud roar, he moved out of cover and, using his assault rifle, answered fire. His eyes landed on four frozen Assault troopers, dispersed behind many large boulders. With speed and precision, he gunned them down. Each time he pressed the trigger, brains scattered across the ground. The one enemy left standing was one of the Cerberus Krogan, with its shield aimed at Shepard. The Commander, with incredible accuracy, got the Krogan in the eyes from the slot on the shield – killing the large creature all too quickly.

Shepard might have pressed on, but Ashley's body was silently calling to him. He run at her, and immediately run her vitals. He prayed to God that she was alive, that she hadn't been killed yet… turning the body around, he was relieved that she was still breathing. Still, she didn't look good.

James and Garrus moved in to cover Shepard as he carried Ashley, like a bride, back in the direction they had come from. They eyed the unconscious Lieutenant Commander with a heavy heart.

"Fall back!" Shepard told them as more Cerberus soldiers started overrunning their position from the other side of the building. "We are retreating! Call for evac!"

* * *

The mood in the War Room was not pleasant. It was stale and filled with underlying tension, a tension that slowly raised almost promising to explode and shatter the Normandy in a thousand pieces. One could see the Commander leaning against a railing at the level of the consoles of the room. He was staring at the ground, a dark look on his face.

The rest of the team were on different positions around the projector. Either standing like Garrus and Nyreen, or sitting in the small flight of stairs like James. Steve leant against the com-room's door frame, arms crossed while Samantha paced worriedly nearby. EDI faithfully stood behind Shepard, arms behind her. That was how Liara found them as she walked into the room. All eyes turned to her, except Shepard, who was frozen and lost in his own thoughts.

"Doctor Chakwas has done what she could" Liara informed them. "While Ashley is going to make it through… she needs to be taken to a hospital, and soon".

"Done. I've informed Jeff to take us to the Citadel" EDI replied.

"Wait, what of the Krogan female?" Traynor asked. "We haven't taken her to her people yet".

EDI turned to stare at Samantha, who blushed under her gaze. "Dr Mordin informs me that she is not ready to leave yet – and young Miss Urdnot has requested to stay longer on board this ship. I will inform Clan leader Urdnot Wrex of the recent developments" she suddenly said, almost startling the communication's specialist.

"Shepard, aren't you going to give the commands?" Liara tentatively asked.

"No, EDI knows what she is doing" Shepard said with a soft tone.

There was a moment of silence, one that was almost too awkward for any of the gathered people.

"Alright, what happened?" Liara asked. "What happened to the bomb?"

"Cerberus got it" Shepard replied. "James opened fire when we were exposed and ruined the entire thing". All eyes turned to James.

"What? Hell no. Shepard stopped me from making the shot! He moved my gun and made me miss!" James pointed an accusing finger at the Commander.

"They were on the bomb, you idiot!" Shepard shouted angrily. "What if you had hit one of the legs and made the bomb fall? We didn't even have the firepower to try to take the base ourselves! You gave out our position for recklessness".

"You are saying that because they were bloody quarians, pendejo" James growled back angrily.

"Shepard is right, Vega" Garrus stepped in. "We were there to scout – shooting at them was not only a risk because of the bomb but it gave our position. We were dealing with an entire army below. Even if we delayed the extraction, the end result would have been the same: with our position getting overrun and Cerberus extracting the bomb".

"Don't give me that! _Este tremendo pelotudo_ right here" an infuriated James kept aiming a finger at Shepard, waving it with immense rage "has thrown himself against worst odds! The only reason he didn't charge in was because he fucked one quarian and so he doesn't want to kill any of them".

"You are out of line, Vega" Shepard squinted at the soldier, his tone dangerously calm.

"Because it's bloody true!" James hissed, glaring accusingly at the Commander.

"Both of you, stop" Liara ordered.

" _Bah! A la mierda con esto_ " James growled in Spanish, walking out of the war room.

"I'll go and talk some sense into him" Steve offered, unsure.

"No" Shepard raised a hand, a gesture to rid Steve of such idea, as he took a deep breath. "I'll talk to him".

"I hope you discipline him" Kandros huffed irritably.

Shepard sighed, shaking his head.

"EDI, Traynor, did you manage to find anything in the Cerberus channels?" Liara asked.

"I'm sorry, Liara, but we can't divulge this information without Shepard's consent" EDI's body replied. Samantha, on the other hand, had her mouth open ready to speak, and was thus petrified in that position, bewildered by that. She straightened up and folded her arms behind her, blushing.

Liara blinked at her, before turning to Shepard. She was rather taken aback by that. "Shepard?"

"Not right now, Liara" Shepard sighed. "Dismissed".

One by one, the team filed out of the room, not before shooting conspicuous glances at the Commander, who morosely remained leaning against the railing, two hands clenching onto it.

"Shepard, I…" Liara started saying.

"Just go, please" Shepard interrupted her.

The asari, with sadness in her face, nodded and, resigned, walked out of the room. Only one person remained, and she didn't appear she would at any moment. That person was EDI. Not that if was much use. She was everywhere on the ship regardless.

"The quarians again, Shepard?" EDI asked after a moment of silence.

"Yes, that and the reports I've got from the turians. They found the AA that took down their ship – it was deserted" Shepard told EDI. "That was on the radio chatter, wasn't it? The Krogans were moving in to secure the AA gun so all Cerberus troops were evacuating both the bomb-site and the gun".

"No" EDI replied bluntly. "We were unable to find anything of use other than the fact Cerberus was retreating from various positions across the planet. The purpose is uncertain – but perhaps the fall of the turians there has drawn the attention of the Krogans".

"They got what they wanted: a massive planet-shattering bomb" Shepard sighed in defeat.

EDI studied her captain for a moment, before placing a hand on his shoulder. It was warm, reassuring and, above all, it felt alive. Shepard slowly turned to look at her, who smiled warmly at him – or as warmly as her programming allowed her to. It was creepy how much emotion a lifeless body could convey.

"You did what you could" she said.

"You really are learning fast from us organics" Shepard managed to smile at the android.

"I have learned from the finest specimen" EDI remarked. "Aside from what I've gathered after various vids on the extra-net".

"Ah, I knew it was coming from somewhere" Shepard huffed, amused. He shook his head, dispelling that moment of joy. "I can't believe I hesitated like that… James was right. I couldn't bring myself to let those quarians be killed".

"You sympathize with their people and even relate strongly to them. Aside from your strong bond with Tali, it is understandable" EDI offered.

"But is it acceptable? Cerberus has gotten their hands on quarians, EDI. They are bound to come across my path sooner or later – I can't hesitate when that happens" Shepard sighed. "God damn it, EDI, how did the Illusive Man get quarians into Cerberus? Or Krogans and Turians even?"

EDI remained quiet. Her hand left Shepard's shoulder, returning to her back as she stood back in full attention.

"I don't have enough data to guarantee an answer, Shepard" EDI admitted. "Regardless, Commander, your actions on Tuchanka were acceptable according to mission parameters. Given the unknowns regarding Cerberus, you have thus far done commendably".

Shepard sighed. "Yeah… I suppose we might never know…" he shook his head, resigned. "Damn it" he scowled punched the railing, breaking it entirely. He eyes the bleeding spots on his fists. Instead of flesh, he saw glowing orange cybernetics.

The Commander sighed again, shaking his head with sadness.

When Shepard walked out of the elevator and stepped into the hangar, he noticed it was not as empty as it had been when they escaped Earth. Rather, now more people walked around moving this or that create to complete the retro-fits, lazed around or, like a pair of officers in the back, played basketball. Cortez was busy working on the shuttle, apparently checking the back thrusters. James, on the other hand, was doing pull-ups.

He made his every step as loud as possible, making sure that James heard him. Regardless, the muscular man didn't appear to notice, keeping himself at it. He was probably trying to relieve himself of some tension… good, because Shepard was planning on something to relieve his own tension.

"You gonna stay there all day Commander?" James asked.

"I am waiting till you tire. It will make the fight more interesting" Shepard smirked.

That caught the man's attention. He paused, glanced at him with uncertainty, before letting go of the bar overhead. He was rather heavy by the sound of his fall.

"Fight?" He asked. Was that dread in his face?

"Oh, you know… friendly boxing…" Shepard's smiled, this time reassuringly. "We are all still feeling the mission – we can release some pent up frustrations with some punching".

James studied the man from toes to head, assessing Shepard's level of threat. He then smirked confidently. Admittedly, he was far more muscular and wider than Shepard, so James might at plain sight have some advantage.

"If you say so…" James shrugged.

The two walked over to the centre of the hangar, where there was enough space for the fight. They raised their fists, with Shepard looking strangely calm.

"Alright, Vega, you ready for a good thrashing? You got a bit out of line back at the war room" Shepard told the marine.

"Yeah… I'm sorry about that" James apologized. In hindsight he had been a bit tactless.

"You were right. I don't think I could see a quarian die" Shepard stepped forward and launched a series of jabs. One of them nearly got James' face, forcing him to hop back, keeping some distance in between. "But you also know why I hesitated to kill them – don't you?"

James charged, trying to get a hit on the man. Shepard might have been a corpulent man, but he sure moved too fast for someone his size. He had to retreat, gritting his teeth.

"Yeah" James admitted. "You were right. Too many -" he moved forward, delivering his strongest punch. "Enemies!" Shepard moved back and BAM punched him down the kisser. James stepped back, a bit dizzy by that. He shook his head. "So you want to play it like that, huh?"

"Trust me, Lieutenant – I'm lax with the forms, but when someone crosses the line" Shepard glared at James "I won't let it happen again". He quickly frowned, confused. "There is more to this – to that bout of anger". He squinted at James "it is about Ash…"

James charged, thinking Shepard had lowered his guard. Not only was he able to bloke his fist like it was nothing, he punched back like a freak. James had to give a few steps back, a hand on his stomach, as to how hard the bastard had hit.

"W-what is this? Some kind of therapy lesson?" James wheezed, falling back. He looked at Shepard, something flashing across the beefy man's face that the Commander didn't miss.

Something about the way his pose stiffened, his eyes seemed to avert Shepard's gaze, even momentarily, spoke of a story, of something. Shepard couldn't pinpoint exactly what, but it was familiar. That face, the look of unbidden memories and the guilt… James had remembered something. It then hit Shepard he had seen that face, more often than not. More importantly, he had seen it on his cabin's mirror, sometimes during morning, some other times after long contemplations under the shower.

Shepard's eyes widened. "You've lost people before" he stated.

"How do you…?" James was asking, when Shepard decided he wanted to punch James some more. This time, he managed to catch one of the Commander's fists under his arm and used the moment to hit the man in the head. Shepard did not only evade the hit, he actually did a weird strike on his arm which made James cry out in pain and release Shepard's arm. "Damn it, Loco!" He hissed.

"I think you will have to start calling me 'sir'" Shepard chuckled, giving James some time to recover. "So who did you lose? A unit? A friend?"

James shook his head. "It was nothing…" he mumbled.

"It was something" Shepard added. "You are angry that I blamed you for Ashley. You might have been at fault for drawing Cerberus attention… but she was the one to run off into the fray. This is mostly her fault".

James grimly frowned. "I don't think I want to keep at this" he muttered.

Shepard moved forward, grabbed James and, like the marine was a sack of potatoes, shoved him to the ground. With a knee on the shocked marine's neck, Shepard leaned forward. "Good, because I didn't ask for your permission. Understood soldier?"

"Yes" James struggled as Shepard exerted his weight on the neck. "Oy!" He started slapping the ground.

"Yes…?" Shepard squinted at James.

"Yes, sir" James whispered before Shepard stepped back.

The Commander walked away, giving his back to James. "Alright, Vega, who did you lose?" He asked again.

"None of your business" James growled. Shepard turned his head to glare threateningly at him. "Sir" he added with spite.

"Come on Vega, don't tell me you are out of it already" Shepard huffed as James raised his fists.

"I am not even started!" James roared running at Shepard. Surprising the Commander, he tackled the man and managed to find himself sitting over the Commander. He didn't even hesitate to punch Shepard repeatedly. The Commander, however, recovered to damn quickly.

"Tell-" Shepard head-butted James. "Me" he lifted himself up, managing to push James back like the large marine was a lightweight. "What" he grabbed James' by the scruff of his shirt, lifting him up. "Happened!" He punched James in the face, sending him off to the floor.

James fell with his face on the hard metal. Blood was pouring out of his nose and he felt terribly. Shepard was giving him one hell of a beating.

"Why do you bloody care?!" James yelled, kneeling as he took calming breaths. He stood up, enraged. He might have respected Shepard before but now, the Commander was going to get it – and bad. He lunged and started punching the man. Shepard didn't even answer this time, covering his face with his forearms.

By then the entire hangar was frozen, spectators of the fight between the two. They were with their mouths wide open, shocked. The elevator door opened and Liara, Garrus and Traynor rushed out – only to freeze at what they were seeing. That was when Shepard strike backed. First it was an upper cut, then a punch sideway and, to end it, a jab straight to James face.

James fell on his back, panting. He stared at the ceiling. He knew he probably was bleeding badly. Heck, he couldn't feel his muscles. Shepard, who looked unscathed, walked over to him. He looked at James with pity.

"Because I know what it feels like" Shepard told James. "Being a survivor is a curse – each night and morning you ask yourself if your choices were the right ones… if you are worthy of their sacrifice…" His face hardened, a name crossing his mind only to fade away. "Today you acted without following my orders. I blame myself for being too lax on you – maybe I should be like one of your stuck-up boot sergeants. If you lost someone, then you know the price of the wrong move. Ashley will live, but tomorrow, someone else might not. If you lost someone like I think you did… then you know that you can't allow yourself for this to happen again – I can't allow this to happen again." Silence. James glared at Shepard. "Am I clear?" James kept glaring at Shepard.

"Yes…" James looked away, lost in thought "…sir".

"Dismissed then" Shepard muttered, stomping over to the elevator. "Leave him there. Let his wounds heal naturally".

Commander Shepard stared at the limp body of Ashley. Without her amour, her face was visible, revealing many bruises and the damage of the explosion. A wave of guilt washed all over him, aching in his gut. It was all his fault. He had allowed himself to become too soft on his leadership… it had worked with fully trained and dedicated marines, like Kaidan and Ashley, before, as well as the non-Alliance crewmates. However, he should have done better… where did it all go wrong?

James made the shot, yeah, when he shouldn't. That was the large marine's fault entirely. Shepard had explicitly said not to do it… but then again, Shepard's reasoning hadn't exactly been clear or reasonable. The shot was easy enough without risk of hitting the bomb and it was feasible to delay the extraction by shooting the two quarians working on the ropes. However, it would have been for nothing, now that Shepard thought about it. Had they managed to kill the two Engineers, the four would still have been exposed and pushed back and the bomb would have been extracted nonetheless – only these time they would have killed two engineers… and Ashley wouldn't have rushed over like a fool.

Shepard could understand Ashley's motivation to just charge in like an idiot. In part, thus far, Shepard had done little other himself. The difference was that he was far better that fighting than anyone – even hardened marines like Ashley. He had been fighting the toughest enemies of the lot non-stop, while Ashley hadn't exactly seen much action after the destruction of the previous Normandy. She was still a good damn fighter but… she didn't have the experience and honed skills of someone who had gone into the unknown to fight with overwhelming odds against an enemy force that remained an unknown.

And yet, Ashley had been too preoccupied with Cerberus… she hated the organization, a lot more than Shepard recalled her ever showing it even after they had discovered some of their nastiest experiments. No, she was angrier at the organization than before. Cerberus getting a massive bomb, a win in her mind, probably made her act the way she did. The questioned remained though: why? Why was Ashley angrier at Cerberus than before?

Well, the real question was why wasn't HE angrier at Cerberus? It wasn't like he had befriended the Illusive Man or accepted Cerberus' ideals. He hadn't been convinced before and he wasn't now… and yet, he wasn't that driven to take them out.

The door to the med bay opened and in walked EDI. It was odd she had become his confidant. Well, not quite. After she had been unshackled, Shepard had started trusting the AI more than he did many others… with the exception of Garrus and Tali, but the turian preferred his damned calibrations over anything else. Now that she had a body, EDI had become a strange thing he couldn't describe.

"I've received reports from the Council, Commander" the android stated. "As well as a message from Clan Leader Urdnot Wrex. He wanted to speak with you after arrive at the Citadel… it is to be noted his articulation and choice of words expressed anger".

Shepard sighed, his eyes still locked on Ashley's form. "What are these reports about?" He inquired.

"Cerberus – the corpses found on Sur'Kesh have been thoroughly studied and the result presented to the Council" EDI informed the man. "It would seem that Cerberus has started employing advanced and invasive cybernetics on their troops giving them a similar resemblance to Reaper Husks".

"That's the Illusive Man for you" Shepard grunted. He absentmindedly studied his fists, with which he had punished James. There was blood, flesh… and glowing cybernetics there. "Forward the reports to my cabin" he grimly ordered.

"It is done" EDI said. "There are also news in regards to Eden Prime. Cerberus' numbers have swelled in the area and it would seem they are after a Prothean excavation sight. There are still no signs of conflict on the planet".

She noticed Shepard's attention leaving the Lieutenant Commander. Surprisingly enough, they were settled on Mordin, who worked further away on his terminal. Shepard seemed to squint at the Salarian, with a suspicious look on his face.

"Give a reply to Wrex. Tell him I want to meet him right away…" he turned to EDI. "I want you to prepare somewhere in this ship where not one bloody bug can pick up what we are going to discuss".

"It will be done" EDI nodded with determination. "Anything else?"

Shepard hummed, thoughtfully. "Arrange for Ashley to be immediately taken to Huerta Memorial Hospital… We've got a friend that will keep an eye on her for me" he replied.

"Understood" EDI offered in response.

Shepard took a deep breath, he sent one last suspicious look at the oblivious Salarian. Grumbling, he turned around and towards the door. "I've got some bloody reports to write…" he muttered.


	8. Chapter 8: Eden Prime

**Chapter VIII: Eden Prime**

"Why didn't you tell me Cerberus was on my planet, Shepard?" Wrex growled as he entered the AI Core. He took a moment with his ire to glance at his surroundings. He was probably confused as to the reason they were there. Shepard remained stoically staring at the warlord, arms folded. Much to the Warlord's chagrin, the man held an air of indifference. "And Turians too… damn it, Shepard!" Wrex added.

"Don't give me that, Wrex" Shepard glared at the Krogan. He stepped forward, menacingly leaning closer to Wrex. "There are a few things I want to set up straight, and you better bloody come clean with me. Why the hell didn't you tell me you had Mordin working on the Genophage cure?"

Wrex blinked with surprise a couple of times. It was probably the most shocked he had ever been, at least in the presence of the Commander. The oversized lizard's confusion, however, was short-lived as he quickly regained his compsure, only to start huffing irritably and folding his arms. "I don't know what you are talking about…"

"Riddle me this, Wrex" Shepard growled. "How does a Krogan Female get cured from the genophage months when she was never actually given the cure? You said Maelon was the one to cure her, but we both know otherwise. He was light-years away from even finding anything that could even resemble a cure. Maelon didn't find the cure and we both know it".

"Then how do you explain Bakara, huh?" Wrex challengingly retorted.

"Isn't it odd a Salarian STG gave away one of Sur'Kesh's biggest secrets to you? That on the same day we extracted the female I came across Mordin Solus, geneticist extraordinaire with much better knowledge and background to actually synthesize a cure? And who so happened to have the previous work of Maelon to carry on with the cure?" Shepard grunted. "Mordin was your contact in STG and HE was the one who made the cure… and you both are hoping to distribute it once you get to Tuchanka. That's what you have been doing: you have been stalling for time. Mordin probably feared the Salarians would realize what was in their hands and destroy everything… and you got yourself on the negotiation table with the other species."

Wrex glared at Shepard for a moment before puffing with resignation. "Alright, yes, Mordin was my contact and, yes, he was the one to make the cure. And…" he looked uneasy admitting it "and yes, we were planning on distributing the cure".

Shepard raised an accusing eyebrow at the Krogan.

"What do you want me to say, Shepard? The future of my people is at stake here. I couldn't take any risks" Wrex countered. "This is the salvation of my people we are talking about".

"Yes, but why didn't you tell me at some point? I could have helped. Hell, Mordin knows I would have wanted a cure done ages ago" Shepard sighed. "I am a little bit more curious how you got Mordin on board with the whole thing. Last we talked about it, Mordin still thought the cure was a mistake".

"I can be persuasive" Wrex shrugged with a smug grin.

"Wrex…" Shepard blankly stared at the Krogan, unimpressed.

"Alright, alright" Wrex grumbled, annoyed. "He was the one to offer the cure to me. He managed to contact me discreetly. The pyjack was the one who wanted to tell me about the females, about being able to synthesize a cure while he tried to improve their weakened health. That's the end of the story".

"And you didn't tell me because…" Shepard trailed off.

Wrex stared at Shepard.

"Oh, for the love of God, you weren't planning on telling me at all?" Shepard exclaimed.

"I didn't say that" Wrex grumbled.

"Your silence shouts louder than you could" Shepard muttered. "And you can shout pretty loud" he added.

"What is your problem, Shepard?" Wrex retorted. "Why are you so annoyed that I kept this a secret? You don't like being out of the loop?"

"I don't like people using me" Shepard hissed. "Much less when they are someone I deemed a friend. After everything I've done for you… from the data on Virmire, your family Armour, Grunt and all that… this is how your repay me? But do you know what the worst part is?" Wrex didn't answer. "Is that now I feel like there is much more you aren't telling me".

"Such as?" Wrex huffed. However, he couldn't hide the fact that it was true. Shepard could see it on the Clan Leader. There was a lot of what Wrex had been up that Shepard was not aware of – both knew that.

"Is your people working for Cerberus?" Shepard squinted at Krogan.

Wrex was perplexed by the question. "Why would you even think that?"

"Wrex, they installed a giant AA gun on your planet and simply abandoned it for you. They extracted an ancient turian bomb and removed it for you. Am I the only one that sees someone benefiting from Cerberus being on Tuchanka?" Shepard growled. "Am I supposed to believe that no Krogan ever noticed what Cerberus was doing?"

"Think what you want, Shepard – Cerberus has nothing to do with my people" Wrex grunted with a vehement nod.

The two remained awfully quiet, staring at each other. Dark eyes bore into reptilian blood red eyes, seeking the truth beneath them.

"Alright, I'll believe you… this time" Shepard grunted. "But no bloody secrets between us, Wrex. It's bad enough I'm fighting against Reapers, Cerberus and bureaucracy to have to deal with my own comrades".

Wrex nodded "agreed". He looked around for a moment. "How did you really find out about Solus and the cure?"

Shepard smirked. "Let us just say I had some eyes on this ship who managed to get interesting peeks at Mordin's terminal" he added.

Wrex squinted dangerously at Shepard. "Liara?" He asked.

"Liara?" Shepard blinked.

"Yes, your little Shadow Broker" Wrex smirked. "Didn't think I'd know that, did you?"

"Hold on, she is still the Shadow Broker?" Shepard tilted his head. Now there was a surprise. "And how did you… oh, never mind, Mordin most probably. I actually meant EDI. Have you met her?"

"EDI?" It was Wrex's time to look baffled.

"That would be me" a small holographic orb popped up nearby.

Wrex turned to it, startled. He looked at Shepard, then at the hologram, then back at Shepard. "Talk about secrets… an AI on your ship, Shepard?" Wrex laughed, probably imagining the expression on the Council's face if they ever got word of that.

Shepard was tempted to ask how Wrex even guessed EDI was an AI. He decided against that. He had the gut feeling Wrex would play the fool and, at the moment, Shepard didn't feel like poking at the Krogan's temper, or his own for that matter.

"You have come across her already, actually" Shepard grinned. "The pretty blonde woman?"

Wrex blinked, turning to the hologram "that's your body?"

"That's correct" EDI replied.

"You sure know how to pick them" Wrex chuckled as he addressed Shepard. "Ah, well, I guess I can trust an AI".

"…but not Liara?" Shepard wondered, confused. Why was Wrex taking in the fact Shepard had an unshackled AI on his ship like it was nothing? Well… this was Wrex, after all.

"It isn't that I don't trust Liara" Wrex appeared to struggle with his words. "I just don't know her anymore – and it isn't like we spoke that much back at the first Normandy. You trust this AI then I trust her".

Shepard nodded with a grimace. He shared the same feeling on the resident asari. Liara… hell, everyone had changed. The asari had too much on her shoulders as it was. To think she carried on being the Shadow Broker...

"If you don't have anything else to talk to me about" Wrex turned around.

Shepard hurried over to the large Krogan's side. He also had to leave the ship.

"By the way, have you heard about Tali or the quarians?" Shepard asked Wrex as they walked out of Med-Bay.

"Quarians?" Wrex blinked, eyeing Shepard carefully. They strolled across the Mess. "Not much" he shook his head.

Shepard sighed, disappointed, as he accompanied the oversized lizard through his ship. The meeting had gone better than he had hoped. A cure of the genophage... his eyes wandered off to the starboard observation as they went into the elevator. Bakara was there, with EDI reading her some of the books found in that room. Thinking about her, he felt an ache on his gut. To think most females of her species had to endure a horrible existence because of one plague…

Shepard walked out of the Normandy, separating from Wrex's shadow, bracing mentally and emotionally for the chewing out that would be his debriefing with the Councillors. They were not pleased with the whole bomb debacle. He wondered if perhaps he couldn't delay a bit and make sure Ashley was alright and talk with Thane a bit.

His musings, however, were interrupted when someone walked over to her amidst the crowd he so much tried to meddle in conspicuously. He had just passed the security checkpoint when he saw her face. He actually froze but she, taking hold of his arm, forced him to keep moving. Like a loving couple on a date, they strolled onwards.

"Come on, Commander" the familiar Australian accent was as annoying as Shepard recalled. "Don't tell me you missed me this much…"

"Miranda, what the hell are you doing here? And…" he looked at her new attire. No longer was she wearing the white skin-tight jumpsuit but rather a long elegant blue dress that went well with her sapphire eyes. Her long raven hair was tied back in a bun behind her and her face was… it was somewhat different. She was too elegant and prepared for Miranda Lawson.

"If you haven't guessed, already, I am kind of trying to blend in" Miranda offered a smile as the pair reached the elevator. "Cerberus is after me" he added, her smile dropping replaced by the usual cold expression Shepard was familiar with.

Shepard blinked. The elevator doors closed and the Commander pressed a button to the Presidium grounds.

"What happened?" Shepard inquired.

"The Illusive Man and I had… a disagreement" Miranda told the Commander, dubiously. "Let us say we didn't depart on the best of terms…"

Shepard frowned. The Miranda he knew would have never walked out of Cerberus. She was too damn loyal to them not only because she shared their beliefs but there was a need behind it. The Illusive Man, as a powerful figure, was the only individual that protected Miranda's sister from Miranda's father, an extremely rich guy with a strange concept of legacies.

He had, however, more pressing questions. "What's going on, Miranda? How did Cerberus become from this small thing into a massive military force? And what are they up to?" Shepard asked.

"I wish I knew myself, Shepard" Miranda replied, unsure. She seemed genuinely surprised by Cerberus' growth. "But things aren't the same… I- I need a favour of you, Shepard… to find Oriana".

"I guess now that you aren't in friendly terms with the Illusive Man…" he trailed off, nodding with understanding.

That didn't explain why Miranda had abandoned Cerberus. She knew the risks. Then he recalled that piece of information about Cerberus implanting cybernetics into their soldiers. Shepard could not picture Miranda allowing herself to be implanted with anything, even if it was for Cerberus. Could that had been it? She refused to be a husk-like tool for the Illusive Man?

"What do you need?" Shepard asked soberly.

"Your Alliance access" Miranda said, staring deeply into his dark eyes.

Shepard hesitated. Could he actually give her so much clearance? It would allow her to see pretty much anything she wanted from the position of fleets to latest secret reports – if the Admirals bothered to keep Shepard up-to-date on that, which he wasn't sure.

"Why do you need it?" Shepard raised an eyebrow. He really didn't want to risk such security breach… but this was Miranda, a fellow squadmate that had ventured into the Omega 4 Relay with him. He knew her… kind of.

"Please" she looked around, nervous. "I can't give you details – not now, not here. And I have little time".

Shepard gritted his teeth. "Alright, I'll give it to you… if you can prove that you are you" he looked at Miranda, who have him her trademark Ice Queen look. It was definitely her, but he needed to be certain. "If I remember the first time we met in person was when I killed Wilson… I remember by first word around you there had been 'dead', to finish Wilson's sentence". She smirked smugly at the memory. She loved her one-liners.

"That was not the first time I saw you though, was it?" Shepard squinted at her.

Miranda's eyes widened. "No, a week prior you had woken up from your drug-induced coma – I had to calm you down. I do recall almost giving me a heart-attack. So many resources used on the Lazarus Project, and you almost died because you were growing resilient to the doses of drugs given…" she shook her head.

Shepard hesitated, before pulling out his Alliance credential chip with the access codes. "Alright, I'll give it to you" he mumbled "but if something happens because of this…"

"You will hunt me to the end of the galaxy and torture me for forty days and forty nights" Miranda nodded with a roll of her eyes. "I've heard that threat before, Shepard".

Shepard smiled. "So you know I'm serious about that" he stated.

Miranda shrugged. "I thought you knew be better" she smirked. "I don't fail nor do I disappoint". Yep, definitely her.

It was Shepard's time to roll his eyes, a grin on his face. Some things never change. The elevator stopped and the doors slid open. The two walked out and parted ways, not before they exchanged smiles on last time.

"Next time we meet at least bring beer" Shepard exclaimed.

"I'll bring more than that" she sultrily responded.

Shepard frowned. What the hell was that supposed to mean? He shuddered. That tone was not one he wanted to hear again. It was plain creepy. That and it invoked weird images in his mind.

That was when his omni-tool started beeping. He frowned. It was Liara, and it was labelled as urgent. While he had pretty much prayed to God to get some respite from the Council, he really hadn't expect these many delays. He opened the channel, worried.

"Liara, what is it?" He asked.

"Shepard, we need to go to Eden Prime, now. Cerberus is attacking the dig-site" Liara exclaimed.

The Commander's frown deepened, as he stopped dead on his feet. After taking a deep breath, he groaned. _Just great_ , he mentally muttered. He spun around and started trotting to the lift.

"Alright, I'm going there" Shepard told the asari.

"Do you want me to summon everyone back?" Liara asked.

"Yes" Shepard nodded as he waited for the elevator doors to open. He shook his head. What exactly could there be in Eden Prime to lure Cerberus there? At this moment, though, it seemed he was fighting Cerberus more than he was the Reapers…

* * *

"Eden Prime…" Liara looked out of the shuttle's window. Behind her sealed helmet it was impossible to tell, but Shepard knew that there was a face of longing and earnest. "This is where it all began…" she turned to Shepard "where your journey to greatness truly started".

"I wouldn't call it that" Shepard humbly said.

"Why isn't the Alliance reacting to this attack?" Nyreen asked where she stood. Next to her, Garrus stared at Shepard with what the Commander could assume was the same amount of curiosity.

"I am just as curious" Shepard admitted, turning to Liara. "I would have thought that after the Geth attack they would have invested in better defences".

"They have – the Alliance has even started constructing immense Anti-Aircraft guns and Udina has started… what do humans call it? A draft?" Liara tilted her head.

"Draft?" Garrus and Nyreen queried.

"It is when all men are forced to join the army" Shepard elaborated.

"Only the males?" Garrus wondered, confused.

"Yeah, it is common philosophy between humans that it is idiotic to send those best fit to nurture society and our children for into battle alongside the more expendable counterparts" Shepard replied with a shrug. "Let's stay focused… how isn't that the Alliance is aware of this?"

Liara looked out of the window. "Cerberus appears to have hacked into the excavation team's communications and has managed to falsify their responses. In other words, to the Alliance nothing is actually wrong at the excavation team. The garrison and Eden Prime militia are unaware of what is going on".

"Why don't we tell them then?" Garrus wondered.

"I did" Liara replied. "The Alliance, however, doesn't believe me. It is understandable. Eden Prime is well defended. As I said, it does have a very strong military presence. It is hard to believe that Cerberus would be able to attack the site without anyone noticing. That and…"

"Cerberus probably have a mole in the Alliance or Eden Prime's government – if not both - that is feeding the Alliance false information. It would explain how Cerberus has been avoiding detection and how they got the attack under wraps" Shepard finished for her.

"Precisely" Liara nodded.

"Then how do WE know about the attack?" Nyreen pondered.

"Let us just say… I've very well informed these days" Liara joked. Garrus and Shepard chuckled, but Nyreen didn't seem to understand it. She didn't, after all, know Liara was the Shadow Broker.

"Any idea what's at the excavation site?" Shepard asked.

"Ehm… yes" Liara slowly nodded. "B-but I don't think it is possible that the reports are accurate".

"After everything we've seen with Shepard you are questioning the possibilities of what we can encounter now, Liara?" Garrus queried.

Liara huffed, amused. Shepard could picture a smile under her helmet. "Ehm… yes but…" he started wringing her hands nervously "when you receive reports they found a stasis pod… a Prothean stasis pod… you tend to treat the information with a modicum of disbelief at least, even if you have travelled with Shepard".

"A pod…?" Shepard frowned before his eyes widened "they found a working pod with a Prothean inside?"

"Yes" Liara nodded. "For all we know, there could be more. Still…" she paused, uncertain. "I doubt any pods will have a live Prothean inside after fifty thousand years. There is no telling if the pods are functional at all or if the people inside can be unfrozen..."

"There is a chance, isn't there?" Nyreen commented. She sounded hopeful "to actually meet the enigmatic Protheans…"

"We've already come across Prothean cryo-pods" Garrus stepped in, grimly. "And those were in a well-established facility. They didn't last past a few hundred years without running out of power…"

There was a moment of silence in which they all came to terms that the pod would only have a dead Prothean inside. Rather than the hope of bringing the Protheans back from their extinction, they had to settle with rescuing a coffin.

"We are almost there" Cortez told the crew.

The shuttle landed with a gentle thud and the team of four departed. Once the ground team had left, Steve flew the shuttle away. The team stood there for a moment, at the feet of a hill and right outside a small grove of trees.

All around, the team was surrounded by lush green, the kind that was lively and breath-taking. Shepard studied the grass and trees, tempted to remove his helmet and breathe fresh air. These plants were all descendants from Earth, perhaps the only surviving legacy of humanity for a good time. There was no telling the damage the Reapers would do to Earth, after all. Still, odds were that Eden Prime's fate would likely be that of Earth's if nothing was done.

"I can see why humans hold Eden Prime with great pride" Liara commented, enthralled by the peaceful scenery.

"Eden Prime is evidence of everything that is wrong with humanity" Shepard grunted derisively as he started to walk towards their destination.

The two turians and asari traded confused expressions before following after Commander. While they didn't reply to his comment, Shepard did overhear Garrus make an offhand remark to Nyreen about 'spacers not appreciating natural beauty'.

They had landed some distance away, allowing them to sightsee a bit before they reached the dig-site. It was easy to tell where it was by the agglomeration of prefabricated buildings visible at a distance. In the way there were only wild trees and fields of green. The wind blew in strong sudden gusts, making shades of emerald dance energetically while the golden sun covered the world with a blanket of warmth. It did look like a paradise.

After half an hour of careful and cautious walking they got to the dig site. They did so with stealth and speed. Thankfully, all they found were a handful of Cerberus Assault soldiers looking around lazily. They were too scattered and alone, the few separate sentinels spread wide and making it too easy for Shepard and his team to slip through the perimeter. The team managed to see the excavation site proper not soon after. It was hard to miss, with a giant dug-up land and Prothean structures buried in the dirt.

"There" Liara pointed at an elevated platform that rose high over the buried trenches. On it was what looked like a coffin… kind of fitting after all. There was no one watching over it.

"What is Cerberus doing?" Shepard frowned.

Why did he have to ask that question each time he went after them? They barely made sense! If they wanted to get the pod, they had it right there! It was like they were more interested on other things.

"Where are all the workers?" Liara wondered "or the researchers?"

"They are probably locked up somewhere" Garrus suggested.

"So far Cerberus hasn't exactly taken prisoners" Nyreen added wryly.

"There aren't signs of firefights or combat" Garrus rebutted.

"We'll know soon enough. Come on, we'll go there" Shepard pointed at the nearby prefabricated structure.

The team followed his lead and, without drawing any attention, entered. The first thing that drew their attention was how empty it was. There were a few desks, computer terminals, a coffee-machine and chairs. Other than that… The screens on the wall were blank. The prefrabricated buildings looked in need of furnishing and some life. There were no signs of habitation or even use. Cerberus had taken everything of value (sans the computers).

"What's the plan, Shepard?" Garrus asked.

"There doesn't appear to be a large force here" Liara commented. "We could take over this place with ease and secure it for the Alliance".

"I rather not risk it… I don't think Cerberus posted the bulk of their forces here – there is no telling how many other soldiers will come here once they give the alarm" Shepard hummed thoughtfully. "It wouldn't be a good strategy, not if they needed to evacuate once the Alliance discovered something had gone awry here…" He turned to Garrus. "We are going to create a diversion – make them think we are many more than we actually are. We need to wreak enough havoc for them to pull out and retreat".

"You want them to think the Alliance is finally here" Garrus concluded "smart".

"Nyreen, Garrus, move to that building – Nyreen, use your biotics to kill anyone quickly and silently. Liara, you are with me" Shepard ordered. "Find anything that can make enough noise and set up technological grenades on them. Understood?"

"Shepard, before we landed we mentioned the possibility someone was feeding the Alliance force information" Liara reminded them. "What are the odds that they will quickly discover they have been tricked?"

"If we do this well enough, they won't at all. If we are unlucky, they might not even bother pulling out" Shepard shrugged. "Move out".

Doing a stealthy mission was something Liara wasn't prepared for. She wasn't used to the idea of crawling across places, stay absolutely still when they heard someone walk nearby. The hardest part were the kills. On the first building they managed to sneak into, unnoticed, they found three Cerberus soldiers. Two of them were busy on different consoles (uploading and/or deleting data, according to Liara) while a third one, a Centurion, stood up over their shoulders. Shepard and Liara had to synch their move with precision.

The Commander went in first and, upon his signal, stabbed the Centurion on the neck with one swift motion, striking at a soft spot. The other two were startled by the commotion behind them, only for a powerful biotic field to pull them together. Liara grew certain she did not like stabbing people and she really hoped they wouldn't repeat the experience.

Liara then walked onto the terminals to see what they had been doing. "They are cleaning the computers from anything useful…" she said, surprised. "Why would they be doing that?"

"Maybe they already have copies?" Shepard shrugged.

"Perhaps… but why not simply remove the computer terminals or just destroy them?" Liara wondered. "After all the destruction they caused elsewhere… why be so clean and cautious here?"

"Remember Cerberus thinks they are doing everything for humanity" Shepard replied. "For all we know they just want to leave this computers intact for the colonists". That did sound rather stupid and unlike Cerberus as he said it aloud.

"That sounds… strange – and ridiculous" Liara sighed. "But I suppose they haven't exactly acted logically thus far".

"Come on, we have a job to do" Shepard told Liara.

Whatever they were going to do next died down in their minds as they heard the sound of gunfire. The pair drew out their weapons and rushed to the windows. Outside, they noticed Garrus and Nyreen with their Vindicator rifles shooting at a contingent of five Assault soldiers.

"I guess the game is up" Shepard sighed.

The battle was… awkward, to say the least. Cerberus might have been a good adversary, but they clearly had gotten them by surprise this time, not to mention unprepared. They didn't manage to regroup, with four enemies taking them out from nowhere. The ones on the roofs tried their best, but they were easy picking for Garrus' rifle. If that wasn't enough, Nyreen and Liara made the fight a bit unfair. With their biotics, entire squads were rendered defenceless with Singularities or a powerful throw.

"Sorry, Shepard" Garrus told the Commander the four walked over to the coffin, guns ready. Bodies of Cerberus soldiers laid all around them, red blood staining the land. "We were spotted by one of the sentinels over one of the roofs".

"It happens" Shepard sighed, shaking his head. "There will be more though" he added, looking far into the horizon.

"Did you see any indication of the scientists?" Liara asked.

"No" the two turians shook their heads.

"We might not have enough time. Spread out – search anything that could give us intel on either Cerberus, the excavation or how the attack happened" Shepard ordered. With any luck they might actually find some logic behind Cerberus' latest operation.

"As the Prothean expert on the team, I think I should head over to study the pod" Liara said, before a hand held her back.

"You might be a Prothean expert, but I'm the only one with the Cypher" Shepard countered.

Liara stared at Shepard, probably opening her mouth to protest behind her visor, only to close it. Shepard could only see her hesitation thanks to her mask, though. Nyreen sent a curious glance at Garrus who replied with a silent 'later' with an air of utmost reluctance. While Shepard understood Liara really wanted to study that pod, they didn't have the time for such luxuries.

"Move out – stay on radio contact" Shepard ordered as he strolled onwards to the pod.

Liara reluctantly nodded with the two turians before moving into the prefabricated buildings. Shepard didn't like being that bossy to Liara, but truth to be told he was right. She was an archaeologist turned information broker. He was perhaps the only being in the entire galaxy that could understand Protheans thanks to the Cypher.

He sighed tiredly, only to shake his head and groan with annoyance. He had more important things to worry about than Liara's possibly hurt feelings.

The pod was familiar, to a point he had to take a moment to blink at it with surprise. For some reason he seemed to understand the shape, few glyhps… and he could tell it was still operational. Hesitantly he stared into the holographic console at one end of it and, almost by instinct, started typing into it. He couldn't understand the feeling that washed across him. It felt… alien. Shepard stepped back after a few seconds, shocked.

"People… this Prothean is alive" Shepard said through the coms.

"Really?" Liara gasped. "We must take it to the Normandy!"

"Agreed" Shepard nodded. "Any sign of the scientists?"

"Yes" Garrus replied. "I found their bodies". Well, that answered the question.

"Where?" Shepard asked.

"…on one of the trenches. I think they are all here - even the diggers" Garrus said, sounding nauseated. "Cerberus just… executed them".

Shepard took a deep breath. He had guessed as much. Cerberus clearly had no intentions of letting anyone live wherever they went. He shook his head, disappointed towards the organization that had brought him back from the dead.

"Commander, you better brace yourself up. You've got company!" Joker exclaimed.

Shepard clenched his guns. It was time for some vengeance.

* * *

"This could be it, Shepard" Liara said for the umpteenth time. She looked like she was going to faint at any moment – that or explode of excitement. "A live Prothean…" she dreamily repeated.

Shepard, who was studying the panel with which to open the pod, turned to her. "Calm down, Liara" he told the asari.

"I- I'm trying, it's just that…" Liara spluttered.

"There is a live Prothean in the pod" Garrus grumbled with a nod of annoyance. Nyreen was equally irritated by the asari.

The Cargo Hold was as secure a place as it could be, and there was where Shepard had decided to open the pod. Technically, the best thing to do would have been to hand the pod over to the Alliance –as it was protocol. However, Shepard didn't really have time for that. For all he knew some Cerberus mole would steal the pod from the bloody bureaucrats. Even if Earth under Reaper control, bureaucrats reigned supreme. That and Shepard was well aware no one else actually could understand half the pod's mechanisms as he could, so it was a moot point. The Alliance just didn't have the necessary knowledge to open the pod.

There to witness history was none other than EDI and Diana Allers. Five fully-armoured crewmates, and a still bruised James, were ready for whatever came out of elongated black thing. A containment shield was wrapped around Shepard and the pod, splitting the room in two. The soldiers, differently from Liara, were grim and far more concerned rather than excited. It was protocol, after all, to be paranoid about mysterious pods with alleged living Prothean within.

"Do you think it is a good idea opening it here?" Garrus asked. "The pod could blow up for all we know".

"There doesn't seem to be a security code or anything, Garrus – it has all the protocols right here" Shepard pointed at the panel. "All I have to do is type in the instructions".

"Fascinating…" Liara whispered, a hint of jealousy in her voice. "I wish I could possess such gift. That Cypher of yours has proven to be instrumental here".

"Can't you kind of copy it after the whole melding thing?" Garrus wondered, his mandibles flapping slowly with curiosity.

"We melded twice, remember?" Shepard told the turian. "If she didn't get the Cypher from me then, I doubt she can now".

"Not that melding would be such a bad experience, would it?" Garrus teased.

"There is no telling the sort of cybernetics Cerberus implanted me with. As a matter of fact I wouldn't be surprised they installed some 'anti-asari' hardware. The Illusive Man had something of an issue with Asari" Shepard absentmindedly told them. "He was a xenophobic bastard".

"Really? I didn't know that" Garrus huffed with surprise.

"That's because you preferred calibrating than talking with anyone else" Shepard turned to smirk at the disgruntled turian.

"He still does" Nyreen chimed in, earning a glare from Garrus.

Shepard sealed his suit. "Alright, EDI, run sterilization protocols – the last thing we want is for our friend to die from a disease of our time" he ordered the AI.

"The Protheans were one of the most advanced civilizations, Shepard. They probably had inmuno-implants far better than anything we currently have" Liara pouted impatiently.

"I rather not take my chances" Shepard insisted.

"I'm surprised you didn't summon Mordin here" Garrus remarked. "He could be useful".

"He would probably have a hard time fighting the urge of dissecting the poor fellow" Shepard grinned "and he has other things to do".

"Other things than witnessing the revival of the first Prothean in fifty thousand years?" Diana Allers.

"Protocols complete" EDI stated. "Everything is in position".

"Alright. Let us hope that we don't scare him by our numbers" Shepard sighed. "Brace, here it goes". He concentrated on the panel and… his hand started working on its own. How he understood what he was doing? He wasn't sure, but it was like a subconscious part of him was in control.

There was a faint hiss and everyone held their breaths. Then, in the silence, they all hear loud clunks. With a faint click the pod opened and, slowly, it spread out, exposing the person inside. Shepard, who now stood and blocked the view from the extremely curious bunch behind him, stared at the Prothean… he was not like he had expected.

Insectoid, with four eyes… he did resemble the Collectors, but not by much. That alone was disturbing. However, he did look less creepy and friendly, if only a little. He had a red armour that was a tad too heavy for a scientist or diplomat, and it did seem to suggest it was more than for show. If Shepard had to guess, the man was a military leader, or a soldier. Golden eyes with weird pupils opened, and the Prothean took a deep breath. He (Shepard guessed it was male) coughed a bit, before struggling where he laid.

Shepard carefully stepped back, giving the Prothean some space. The creature didn't seem to be able to take in his surroundings at first, clearly with a hazy mind. However, soon enough, his eyes fell on the ceiling and he froze. He then stared looking at the sides, realizing that he was in an alien environment, and he sat up. The Prothean saw Shepard and the others, and suddenly he appeared to panic.

"W-where am I?" The Prothean asked, probably to himself.

"On board my ship" Shepard replied, knowing full well it was not English. It was a weird language given how it made his throat tingle.

The Prothean snapped his head at Shepard, surprised. "When?" He asked.

"Fifty thousand years after you went to sleep, probably" Shepard answered.

The Prothean seemed thoughtful, or at least Shepard thought he was, for a moment, before studying the crowd behind Shepard. He appeared to have calmed, a lot, regardless of the situation. He either was good at dealing with new situations or he thought everything was just a dream – or a nightmare. In any case, the Prothean stretched his muscles a bit, before attempting to get out of the pod.

"Interesting…" the Prothean said, standing up with what Shepard could only describe a forlorn expression. "You are the new masters of this Cycle".

"You don't know what I am?" Shepard tilted his head.

The Prothean shook his head. "I know that my people were probably studying yours and you found the remnants of their observatories – a cache large enough to boost your technology into the future… but no, I have never heard about the primitives of my cycle". He glared at his hand, clenching them. "By then we were separated from each other and the Empire was no more".

"…the Reapers" Shepard nodded.

The Prothean snapped his head at Shepard. "You know about them?" He asked, still with that demanding tone.

"The Harvest has already began, although it is different from your time. We still control the Citadel" Shepard explained.

"How is that even possible?" The Prothean asked, frowning. There was much more denial than what Shepard could assume was disbelief. If the Commander had to guess, he would say the Prothean didn't think highly of the new masters of the cycle.

"A team of Protheans on a planet we call Ilos created a back-door into the Citadel and used it to modify the Keepers so that they wouldn't answer Sovereign's call" Shepard explained.

"Sovereign?" The Prothean looked more confused. "Backdoor? Keepers?"

"Damn – guess you would have never met him. Sovereign was a Reaper, the one in charge of keeping an eye on the cycle and signalling the Keepers, the creatures of the Citadel, to activate the Relay of the Citadel" Shepard elaborated.

The Prothean appeared frustrated by it all. "My comrades… what about the other pods?" He asked, growling.

"Buried still probably – don't worry, the Alliance… my people's government… is working on digging them up" Shepard replied.

The Prothean remained quiet, choosing to stand there. Shepard didn't press for answers. If the roles had been inversed, he would have been much more desperate and panicky than this. At the moment, the Prothean was holding himself pretty well… then again, he probably had expected this outcome… sort of.

"Your people… what's your people's name?" The Prothean asked.

"We called ourselves humans" Shepard replied. "Our government is the Alliance, a coalition of all our nations".

The Prothean didn't seem to react. By the looks of it, Protheans didn't have facial expressions. He looked at the gathered crowd.

"Are you the dominant species?" He asked.

"Not quite" Shepard shook his head. "That would be the Council races: the Turians, Asari and Salarians. They have the largest fleets and strongest economies, many times larger than humanity's".

"Council…" the Prothean said. It might have been Shepard's unconscious understanding of Protheans but he couldn't tell how he knew this one was expressing revulsion at the word. "So their Empire rules over yours?"

"Not quite" Shepard shook his head. "We kind of got our spot in this Council by showing our strength when we first met, what we call the First Contact War, and then by destroying Sovereign, saving the Citadel and all species".

The Prothean once again stared at Shepard, standing straight. Any person looking would think the Prothean was stoic, but Shepard knew pretty well there was a sense of respect, as if the Prothean found that last bit of history worthy of his appreciation.

"So humanity was unable to exert dominance because of mere tardiness" the Prothean concluded, although to Shepard it came out as a question.

Shepard hadn't thought about it. If humanity had been the first to discover the Relays and gone to the Citadel, it was likely things might have turned a lot different. He wasn't sure if Humans would have been "dominant" but he could say that maybe would have been much more powerful as a species.

"Hard to say" Shepard said.

"How is it going? What is he saying?" Liara inquired, sounding anxious and impatient.

The Prothean looked at her and the asari squirmed. He then studied the rest.

"That would be Liara T'soni, an asari… she spent a good chunk of her life studying the remains of your people" Shepard explained. "She is probably dying to ask you her – eh - abundant questions".

"That sounds like a terrible medical condition" the Prothean stated.

Shepard blinked. "No, that was an expression…" he shook his head. "We humans don't use words for its meaning. We tend to imply meaning not just by words but by context and imagery, most of the times".

The Prothean appeared intrigued, if only briefly. "Most fascinating" he added. At the moment, he didn't appear to care. "Who are you exactly? What is your standing within your people?" He seemed to get somewhat defensive. "Am I your prisoner?"

"I am Commander Shepard of the Alliance – and Council Spectre… I'll tell you at some later date" Shepard declared. "You are currently in my ship, the Normandy, a stealth frigate, the only one of its kind. As for my standing… let us say officially I don't have much power, but unofficially I have a lot of sway. You aren't my prisoner, but for the time being I'd ask you to be confined here. No one knows that there is a live Prothean in my ship and I rather keep it that way – it might cause quite the disturbance, and I don't want to tempt my enemies into killing you".

The Prothean appeared to understand and gave its sign of agreement… which happened to be a quiet tilt to the right of his head. How Shepard knew this? He had no idea. The Cypher could be the explanation for it all for all he knew.

"I need time, on my own, Commander" the Prothean said, with a hard tone on his voice.

"I can understand that. This room will be under surveillance, so if you need anything, call for EDI – she is the officer in charge of everything that happens within my ship" Shepard told the Prothean. "By the way, I never asked about you. What's your name? What are you to your people? A warrior perhaps?"

"My name is Javik… and I am a warrior, yes" Javik replied. "as to what am I to my people? Until I know how many others of my kin are awake, I am the Avatar of the Prothean's vengeance".

"Ah, we are going to need someone like you against the Reapers" Shepard nodded. "Alright, if you need anything, call for either EDI or me. Don't worry, the walls have ears". Javik seemed confused by that last expression.

Shepard turned around and addressed the gathered crowd. "It's alright – he'll remain under surveillance for now and confined under basic security protocols" he told them.

Liara was the most disappointed of the lot, but agreed nonetheless. The soldiers saluted and left while Diana Allers had a grin plastered on her face that seemed like she had a stroke. He walked over to the barrier, surprised by the rest turn of events.

"Commander" Javik said.

"Yes?" Shepard looked at the guest on his ship.

"You can count on any assistance you require against the Reapers. I am no scientist, but I am a warrior and I have vast knowledge on my weapons that might be of use for you" Javik stated.

"Then I'll be back when you feel acclimatized" Shepard responded, before leaving.

Javik, however, closed his eyes and turned around to face the wall. This was not what he had expected.


	9. Chapter 9: Song of Mercs and Thieves

**Chapter IX: Song of Mercs and Thieves**

Commander Shepard looked down at the latest reports scattered across his office, grimacing at the numbers and words. The galaxy was falling to pieces and he was facing the brunt of the events unfolding in front of his very eyes. What he had thought would be a more active Council had gone back to its useless self, or at least not much had changed. Turians had started retro-fitting their ships with the newest model of Thanix cannons, but the retrofits were going too slowly and were concentrated on the Dreadnaughts – Primarch Fedorian was not going to just discontinue the dozens the Turians had. Ship construction of the Hierarchy hadn't changed however. The echelons of the turian military had yet to concede Shepard's suggestion had been a good one – some going as far as believing it would be a bad move to concentrate on small, agile frigates than powerful Dreadnaughts. It would take the fall of Palaven – and maybe more – for the Turians to admit that their military strength paled in comparison to that of the Reapers and that they would need new tactics.

In regards to the asari and Salarians… there was little hope they would be of any use. Salarians were probably still out trying to gather information, a dangerous and impossible task, and the asari were just unable to prepare for war. Asari society was facing extinction and they were having a lot of problems trying to increase the number of soldiers and ships. Matriarchs were even staunchly opposing militarization for one reason or another. The other species were a lost cause. The Elcor had their soldiers, and were preparing the best of their ability… which sadly wasn't much.

The Volus were pouring millions and millions of credits on the Hierarchy for the turians to speed up and increase the bulk of their forces, but Shepard didn't believe it was enough. They were holding out on the Turians, almost expecting for the Hierarchy to cope with what they've already built. The Hanar and Drell were out of their depth with this war, purchasing automated planetary defences. Concerning the Batarians… it seemed that the Reapers had mostly concentrated on Karshan – the Hegemony fell into civil war from there on out by themselves and were busier gutting each other between 'loyalists', 'separatists' and the in-between than actually rallying against the Reapers.

Then there were the Krogan and Quarians. The Quarians were still missing, but recent reports from the Citadel and Citadel space were bad omens: Pilgrims being called back to the fleet, quarians making huge purchases of weapons, ship equipment and pieces, signs of the Flotilla heading towards the Relay connecting to the Perseus Veil… Shepard didn't want to believe the Quarians had finally done it and went to war with the Geth. The fact Geth patrols had been seen only days ago probably didn't bode well – aside from the fact those synthetics were getting bolder by the day.

The Krogan were a different matter altogether. They were all returning to Tuchanka and their territories in droves and were smuggling all sorts of weapons: from hand-held shotguns to giant Javelin Missiles. How was it done? No one knew. STGs also noticed that Krogan had started construction at various sites, with purposes yet to be determined. A Salarian report even went as far as to suggest that the Krogan military build-up had probably been taking place months prior and there was no telling what and how many things the oversized reptilians were building on their planet. Shepard had to take note of the alarmism coming from the Salarians, particularly the part of Wrex having officially started training the first Inter-Clan Battalion. Urdnot Wrex had officially become the first Krogan in centuries to unite almost all clans behind one banner and prepare for a new war; that and the Demilitarized Zone that was Tuchanka had unofficially been utterly changed.

Shepard sighed, leaning back. This wasn't good. Had this last bit of data come out during the summit, the Dalatrass would have never given Wrex the female – heck, General Victus was starting to fear what the Krogan would do next. The one reassuring thing for the Council was that the Krogans lacked ships or any real firepower. There were no orbital defences or even proper missile-launching installations. Perhaps that was what the Krogan were building… but no one was sure.

Cerberus… yeah, there were news about them too. Their military strength had skyrocketed, boundless resources pouring into them from somewhere unknown – or at least new data has hinted at that. An entire fleet had been identified in what was now unofficially Cerberus territory. The Alliance didn't know what to do. Some Admirals wanted to go in hard and fast and be done with the troublesome organization. Others wanted to talk to the Illusive Man and try to come to something. Meanwhile the Council moved fleets around this new Cerberus territory… just in case.

The only thing that remained unchanged were the Reapers. They were eerily peaceful on Earth and refugees were pouring into the Citadel now – though most were being driven out and to the colonies. Some refugees were going into Cerberus colonies. Regardless, they all brought different contrarian news that were mind-numbing. Some refugees said the Reapers remained still over cities, watching. Other were saying that the Reapers were actually rebuilding everything they had destroyed. Very few commented that they were even talking to government officials reassuring them that they were not there to kill them at all. Some said the Reapers were even sharing very advanced technology both in the medical field and mechanics. The most unnerving thing was that there were no signs or mention of an organized resistance, or of the governments of Earth themselves. It was like only very random people had managed to get away.

The door to Shepard's cabin opened and the Commander turned around, expecting EDI. He was more than surprised when he saw Liara of all people walking in. His eyes jumped to the thing she held in her hands… why was it steaming? The blue-skinned alien smiled warmly at him.

"Brought you some tea" she said shyly.

Shepard was rather baffled by that. No one had brought his tea or anything to his cabin before. Except EDI, but the AI had already made an algorithm to calculate Shepard's coffee uptake. "Ehm… thanks" he replied, trying to sound appreciative.

Liara looked around the room as she gently gave the mug to Shepard. He sniffed it curiously. Raspberries and blueberries… this was not Thessian tea. He hummed, pleased if not delighted. When had it been the last time since he had a tea like this?

"I thought you might need something to help you relax" Liara explained with a smile. She watched the collection of ship models around Shepard's desks, impressed by the decoration – a hint of a approval glimmering in her eyes. Shepard took a sip of the tea. It tasted good. "It is still hard to believe it, isn't it? The Reapers are finally here and we are at war with them…"

"If you could call it that…" Shepard grunted. Sighing tiredly, he looked into Liara's sapphire eyes "I get the impression you wish to discuss something".

Liara scrunched her face with uncertainty as she stood next to Shepard. "You've changed quite a lot from what I remember" there was pain lacing her tone. "You are colder… harsher even…"

Shepard closed his eyes, feeling guilty at that. "Sorry, it's just…" he shook his head, rubbing the bridge of his nose "The weight of the entire Galaxy on your shoulders does that to people".

"You are not alone, Shepard" Liara replied with a hint of concern. She took one of Shepard's hand as he eyed her with confusion. "I'm here" she said.

Shepard managed to smile at her, although slightly. It was obvious that there was no longer any feelings he once had for her, something that pained Liara further.

"You didn't answer my question, though" Shepard suddenly commented and the asari blushed with embarrassment.

"Yes…" Liara nodded gently, hesitantly looking into Shepard's dark eyes. There was a reluctance, a desire to avoid the topic, in her own gaze. "I've been keeping myself informed - as you probably are aware of – and…"

"Liara, please, just say it" Shepard sighed. He braced himself. It was probably bad news. They were always bad news.

"Grissom Academy has been attacked… by Cerberus" Liara told the Commander.

Shepard scrunched his face. First, Liara noticed, it was a flare of anger, but the emotions surfacing the man's skin were quickly replaced with confusion.

"Grissom Academy? Isn't that where the Alliance teaches biotics and genius children?" Shepard inquired, grimacing. "How…?"

"It would seem that Cerberus has been able to fool the Alliance once again" Liara stated morosely.

Shepard shook his head, troubled by the news. This was not something he wanted to hear. Moreover, Cerberus had a bad history surrounding children – or teenagers.

"There is more, Shepard" Liara hesitantly carried on. "A few months back, the Ascension Program - the Alliance program that involves teaching biotic children – received a new instructor, a powerful biotic woman that went by the name of… Jack".

Shepard's eyes widened with recognition. He was mortified and he finally understood why Liara was tiptoeing around the subject. Jack? Oh God…

"Jack? Instructor?" Shepard frowned, blinking with surprise. "How did she even…?" He quickly realized much of Liara's hesitation. "What happened? What happened to the children and- and Jack? Did Cerberus…"

"No, there were no bodies left. It is probably that Cerberus kidnapped the students for their experiments. As for Jack… there were signs of resistance but if I were to guess she too was kidnapped" Liara replied, unsure. "This is my fault".

Shepard raised an eyebrow. "Ehm… how come?" He asked.

"I assisted in Jack's hiring" Liara rubbed an arm, regretful. "When she left your crew after your victory across the Omega 4 Relay, I contacted her and suggested Grissom Academy. She was not quite amused by the suggestion" (Shepard snorted "probably an understatement") "but she did agree in the end and, once she was interested, I used my contacts to grant her the position".

"Liara, you shouldn't have" Shepard chided. "While it is nice that you look after my friends, I advocate for meritocracy – if Jack couldn't get the position herself then you shouldn't have assisted her".

"I'm sorry" Liara's shoulder slumped.

Shepard sighed, feeling guilty. "It's alright… at least you kept an eye on her while I was…" Liara noticed Shepard's right eyebrow twitching with annoyance – that was rather new for her. "Indisposed…"

"You seem displeased by your time on Earth" Liara commented.

"I was locked up in a comfy cell while the greatest threat of the galaxy loomed over my shoulders" Shepard grunted. "Yeah, I am still displeased".

"Shepard, you did everything in your power and even more than anyone could – what else could you have done?" Liara wondered.

"A lot" Shepard replied. "First and foremost make sure Cerberus didn't do anything stupid with the Collector base – that is going to bite us back right on our arses. Then there were the quarians… I kind of granted access to the Collector Base and a lot of the Collector technology we gathered".

"The Q-Quarians?" Liara stammered. "I… I wasn't aware of that…" she frowned, confused "why did you do that?"

Shepard sighed tiredly, a palm resting on his face. "I had brokered a deal with them: the tech in exchange for whatever they managed to come up with. I wasn't just going to give the Collector Base tech ONLY to Cerberus, you know?"

"You shouldn't have. With such technology you probably encouraged the quarians to try to reclaim their home-world and leave Cerberus with a monopoly of the Collectors" Liara stated bluntly. "Moreover, there is no telling if there weren't Reaper artefacts in the Collector base… the Illusive Man is probably Indoctrinated, Shepard".

Shepard released a long sigh, a hand moving across his face as if to wash off the shame of what he had done. "My plan was to actually be in the middle of all of that to avoid exactly what happened" Shepard grunted angrily "but no, the Alliance just had to lock me up".

"What were you expecting, Shepard?" Liara asked, sincerely exasperated. "You worked with a well-known terrorist organization, blew up the Alpha Relay AND broke hundreds of Council laws and regulations in a matter of days – without mentioning the months you spent preparing to take on the Collector Base. By the Goddess, Shepard, Cerberus installed an AI on this ship and filled half its crew with highly illegal cybernetics, not to mention genetic augmentations".

"We were going against Reaper forces, Liara. We couldn't play by the rulebook!" Shepard exclaimed, gritting his teeth.

"That is not what the Commander Shepard I knew would say – don't you remember when you taught us that rules were there for a reason? You were an example of leadership and wisdom, managing the impossible through dialogue and charisma" Liara rebutted.

"I do, Liara, but that is a false equivalency and you know that" Shepard glared at her. "When I told you that, we were dealing with things within the realm of the spirit of the rules. We make laws for ourselves, Liara, for citizens and fellow beings… not humongous galactic harvesters".

Liara remained quiet, looking downwards at the rebuttal. She looked thoughtful, if not somewhat abashed. The two remained quiet for a moment, Shepard riled up by the discussion. This was the last thing he needed to do given the circumstances.

"I'm sorry" Liara apologized.

Shepard raised an eyebrow "what for?"

"I shouldn't have said what I did" the asari elaborated.

"No, on the contrary, Liara, I'm thankful that you did. We – I – can't allow ourselves to become some kind of echo chamber where only one opinion resonates. While I don't agree, or like, what you said… it is within your right and – I respect that" Shepard nodded.

The two once again fell into an empty hollow silence. The Commander eyed the still apologetic asari, feeling something weird rising within him. As he studied her, his mind started remembering what it had been when he had started something with Liara. It had been… well… amazing. She looked the same, he noticed, and some part of her mannerisms, the way her mesmerising sapphire eyes glittered in the dim lighting of the cabin… Liara was an alluring creature. Enticing, even. He quickly shook those thoughts with pain. He couldn't try to reconnect with Liara, not before talking to Tali – he had made a promise to her and he was planning on keeping it. Besides, it could just be the loneliness in his heart talking. He did miss Tali, and a lot.

"I've noticed Bakara and Dr Solus are still in the Normandy" Liara suddenly commented.

"Yeah, let us just say that Mordin wants a bit more time with his patient – something about her immune system not being strong enough or something. If I had to be honest, I believe he is just stalling – he does tend to be a perfectionist" it was a half-lie. Shepard knew well enough Mordin was stalling Bakara's return to her clan, but so was Wrex. Thing was Mordin was working on a cure, one he had thought would be easier to synthesize but had not been the case.

"Are you sure it has nothing to do about synthesizing a cure for the Genophage, Shepard?" Liara hummed almost daring Shepard to lie to her. She took a sip from her tea.

"For the Genophage?" Shepard raised an eyebrow at her. "Any particular reason you think that?"

Liara frowned at him, not amused by the way he was dodging the question. "Shepard, I am very well informed these days – I know Mordin is working on something beyond the scope of a mere medical treatment… the recent Citadel purchases prove that – especially the unofficial ones".

"Something I should know?" If Liara thought he would just spew such a secret, she was darn wrong.

Liara huffed irritably. "Why don't you trust me with this secret, Shepard? I could have helped!" Liara exclaimed, angrily.

"Liara, you are part of my ground team, the Shadow Broker AND an archaeologist as well as a Prothean expert" Shepard crossed his arms, blankly staring at Liara. "Have you ever thought that you are biting more than you can chew?"

"Bite – chew – what?" Liara spluttered innocently, blinking her hypnotising eyes at him. They looked like jewels – stars even.

"A human expression, it means you are taking more responsibilities than you can handle… or at least that's what I meant" Shepard clarified. "You can't be everything – now more than ever".

"I am perfectly capable of doing my various jobs" Liara huffed.

"Really, Liara? Because last I heard you don't appear to be either well informed on Cerberus, the Reapers, the Council, or any politician of relevance" Shepard harshly retorted. "So far you seem more knowledgeable on general gossip than anything useful in this war – and you are no longer in the Shadow Broker ship. Your skills as an information broker are limited to when you are free and connected to a com buoy, and even then you don't have enough of the ship's processing power to store and go through all the data you probably receive".

Liara stared at Shepard, looking hurt by his comments. For a moment, Shepard was remorseful about that – but he dismissed the feeling. He was right. Liara was doing too many things and too poorly at all of them at the same time. She didn't focus on anything and thus fail at everything… although that would be an exaggeration.

"And don't get me started on being a Prothean Expert or archaeologist" Shepard carried on. Liara had the decency of blushing at that. "Before you went to mars, Liara, did you even bother finding Prothean relics to find evidence on the Reapers? Or more intel from the Protheans? When I found you on Illium, you were wasting your time trading useless information in hopes of finding the Shadow Broker – hadn't Cerberus not intervened, what would have happened? You would have carried on holding some kind of grudge I still don't get with the Shadow Broker?"

Liara tilted her head, confused. "What do you mean a grudge you still don't get?" She wondered.

"When we met in Illium after my… recovery… you were hell-bent on killing the Shadow Broker. I thought it was because you and Feron became close – heck, I still get that impression" Shepard explained. Liara's mouth fell wide open, shocked by the admission. "But then you just… dismissed him once you became a Shadow Broker and I-" he scrunched his face, scowling "I really never really understood".

"Is – is that why you pursued Tali? Because you thought I had moved on?" Liara pondered.

"No, Liara" Shepard shook his head. "You are beautiful – a one in a life time kind of people" Liara blushed profoundly, smiling faintly at the complement "but there is something about how you are now… I can't explain it. You are still you – mostly… but there is – damn it, I don't know – something. I don't know if it was something in your grudge with the Shadow Broker, how cold you were to me or maybe my own fault but…" Shepard closed his eyes and shook his head again, dismissing his confusion.

"Shepard" Liara stepped closer, a face of longing surfacing on her. She looked desperate. "When you died… it was like my universe had ended. I- I had connected deeply with you. Our bonding, the way we melded together… it left a piece of you in my very soul. Then – then you died and… I couldn't move on" tears started prickling at the corner of her eyes. She knelt down and Shepard rushed to hold her up.

The Commander felt awkward standing there, with Liara in his arms almost… romantically. He couldn't do this. Not to Tali. She deserved better. But Liara… she needed him – at least at the moment…

"It's alright" he finished wrapping her arms around her. "I'm here".

"And yet you aren't" Liara sniffed, as they broke the embrace to look into each other's eyes. "You no longer want me. The Shadow Broker… trying to find your body… I – I wasn't in a good state of mind at the time… with your death and the destruction of the Normandy… it will forever leave scars in my very being".

Shepard felt something in his gut wrenching at her words. "It isn't that I don't want you" he said, only to suddenly regret it as she sadness was replaced with longing. "It is just that…" why not, though? What was stopping him? Tali wasn't around – she could be dead for all he knew and…

Suddenly, Shepard felt something in him burn. It was not love, it was not desire… it was anger. Anger for his own stupidity. He shook his head and stepped away from Liara, fighting the urge to stare into her mesmerizing eyes. Even with his gaze turning to the various ship models, Shepard knew there was disappointment, sorrow and distress raging within Liara.

"I can't" Shepard stated, mustering his courage. "There is something that Tali and I share. Something that drove us closer – and a reason I do not want to tear myself apart from Tali".

"What is it?" Liara wondered. "W-what did you see in Tali?" There was no malice in her voice, only disbelief and curiosity, as well as a healthy amount of jealousy dripping in her words.

"The same thing that will always make me keep fighting regardless the odds" Shepard whispered. "Duty".

"Duty?" Liara frowned, or at least Shepard could imagine her tilting her head, baffled, with creases forming as she fought the growing confusion. "How could…? B- but Duty? What about understanding, affection and… and love?"

"I doubt you will understand" Shepard confessed.

"I don't" Liara stated.

Silence. It was when Shepard heard the swish of the door of his cabin open that he realized that Liara had decided to walk away. He turned around, guilty about the way he had dismissed her. However, it was too late. She was gone.

With a heavy heart, he sat down, sighing yet again wearily. "You don't get it, Liara" he told himself as he looked at the closed door. "With you, I will only have happiness… you will fulfil me… and I can't allow that to happen. The galaxy needs me, and you don't understand what the weight of responsibility feels like – you have no idea how the burdens of duty burn my heart and skin. With Tali…" he looked away, his gaze wandering off to the memory of the quarian. "With Tali there is still that weight on my shoulders… but it feels different, as does hers. We share it – we understand it – we withstand it… and I feel – and know – that together, we will succeed…" his eyes misted, turning at the ground as his expression turned morose "…even if it is at the expense of our own happiness". He closed his eyes "I don't think you will understand that, Liara".

* * *

Commander Shepard felt stiff and numb as he stood, arms folded over his pectorals, on a Citadel elevator. He ignored James' conspicuous glances, preferring to stare at the door in front. He had not had a good meeting with either the Alliance Command and Udina, or the Council. Little can ever be achieved with people that don't understand the scope of the danger. A few guns here or there won't change the Reapers strategies… although he kind of understood where they were coming from: fear.

How can an Admiral cope knowing that he needs massive orbital guns? The amount of resources and expertise involved, not to mention the time needed, were astronomical if they wanted all the colonies to have a decent chance to withstand a Reaper invasion – which by itself was impossible. Earth might have had no defence gun on the land, but it did have large fleets and stations on orbit, and it fell within the day. The colonies were a hopeless endeavour.

And that wasn't adding to the growing discontent between colonists. The Admirals had been a bit too busy trying to get their own spies and saboteurs on Cerberus territory to realize that colonists really didn't believe the Reapers were that much of a threat. To most of them, why would such colossal foe even bother with a colony like theirs? Besides, few colonies trusted an incompetent organization like the Alliance even before the Collector attacks and Eden Prime. Afterwards… the civil unrest and unease were rising and, if push came to shove, odds were that Shepard was witnessing the last days of the Alliance. With the amount of illegal smuggling that had increased, no one could deny there was a strong possibility of entire colonies rebelling and declaring some kind of independence from the Alliance.

And that was what annoyed (or worried) the Council the most. Everyone felt it. Rather than the imminent Reaper assault, the Turians were uneasy with the situation with their neighbours. Human territory was suddenly unstable – there was a lot of tension growing. One spark and a new war could erupt at any time. Added Cerberus becoming a small behemoth by its own right under everyone's noses and everyone suddenly felt blind about where the next attack would come from, or by whom. The Salarians no longer cared that much about Reapers as they did Cerberus, something Shepard understood well enough. The Turians were moving more and more ships against Alliance territory. It was the Asari that surprised Shepard by simply withdrawing altogether and trying, and failing, to boost their own military power.

"You and Blue alright?" James asked, breaking Shepard from his grim thoughts.

It took longer than it should for Shepard to realize the marine meant Liara. "Yeah" he nodded slowly "sort of".

James snorted. "She looked pissed, sir" he chuckled dryly. "Got a beating session with her too?"

"I only beat up the tough ones" Shepard smirked at the soldier. "You still look like a shuttle run over you".

James grinned, a hand rubbing the new scar on his chin. "Gotta admit, sir, you punch like a Krogan" he remarked. "Mierda, more like a God-Damn bulldozer".

"Illegal implants and genetic upgrades" Shepard stated.

"I knew it!" James exclaimed, triumphant. "No mortal human being fights like you do – heck, punching you was like trying to hit a wall". He smugly folded his arms. "I bet that is why you are so tough, huh?"

"Jealous Vega?" Shepard chuckled. "I could try getting Cerberus number – I heard they are open to volunteers".

"Oh no, keep those things off me" James shook his head energetically. "I rather do things the old-fashioned way. Though, really, sir? Cerberus? You allowed them to put those things in you?"

"I was kind of dead at the time to protest" Shepard retorted. "That and I had a doctor I trusted from the Alliance to make sure there wasn't anything… off".

The two remained quiet, glancing at each other for brief moments before trying to ignore the other man.

"Hey, Commander, I…" James rubbed the nape of his neck. "Thank you, y'know… for beating some sense into me. You are right…" he looked at the floor "I did lose people and… and I know I would hate myself if I got more people killed – like the Lieutenant Commander".

"We all make mistakes" Shepard replied.

"That's why you gave me one hell of a beating?" James grunted, amused.

"That was just the excuse, I guess. I really wanted to beat the smug shit out of you" Shepard admitted.

James blinked at the Commander, before he broke into laughter. "Damn, Loco, you are an arse-hole, you know that?" He chuckled.

"I'm an arse-hole…?" Shepard signalled the soldier to continue.

"Sir" James added. "See, you love bossing us low grunts".

"It always gives me a warm tingling feeling in my gut" Shepard smirked at James, who glared playfully at the Commander.

"Right… right" James nodded, rolling his eyes.

"No hard feelings?" Shepard asked.

"For beating the crap out of me? Hell yeah" James snorted. "But I guess I should have seen it coming – you know, if you want to get on my good side again maybe you can buy me a few drinks".

"Sorry, but I don't swing that way" Shepard rebutted.

"Wha…? No, I didn't mean like -" James stopped, squinting at the Commander who was fighting a smirk. "Oh, I see - sneaky" he huffed with a smile. "You are a bad leader, you know that?"

"I'm a bad leader…?" Shepard smirked at the soldier.

"Sir" James grunted, rolling his eyes. "Arse-hole…" he added in an undertone.

Shepard kept grinning the entire way up to Huerta Memorial Hospital, where the two soldiers went through the reception. As they passed the gift-shop, Shepard paused. He eyed the surroundings, noticing the few extra sick humans – most of which looked thin and hungry – and the face of hopelessness of the people there. There was a horrible mood stagnating the air, one so thick that could have start dripping from the roof. These were Terran Refugees, people who had been displaced and had run with almost nothing with the hope of avoiding the Reapers… these were the lucky ones.

Shepard concentrated on the gift shop, noticing a selection of books. Knowing Ashley, she would probably be making things explode out of boredom unless he could remedy that. Thus, he bought something he knew she would like… or at least he hoped so.

Silently, James and Shepard walked past the nurses, doctors and patients, straight to their destined door. It swished open, and the pair entered cautiously. There, resting placidly on a bed, was a bruised Ashley Williams, who so happened to be awake.

"Skipper, Vega" Ashley spluttered, surprised.

"At ease" Shepard told the woman as he went to sit next to her. "Here, brought you something – probably going to need it for the politicians. Took the liberty of building the large and heaviest book available – and with a hard cover".

Ashley snorted with an amused grin as he handed over a Poetry Book. She studied it, her eyes widening. She looked at Shepard, surprised, and he nodded at her.

"Ehm… thanks" Ashley mumbled, blushing. "You really shouldn't have…" her eyes turned to James, noticing the new scar on the man's chin. "Damn, did you get that one on Tuchanka?"

"Nah, that one was by Shepard – the man is a freaking monster in the ring" James shrugged.

"Really, Vega? I thought you had a sense of self-preservation" Ashley teased.

"It's hard to run from me on my own ship" Shepard chimed in. "But never mind that… how you holding up, Ash?"

Ashley sighed. "As good as I can be, I suppose" she shook her head, looking ashamed. "I shouldn't have charged in like that… I was stupid".

"No one is debating that" Shepard remarked. "But you can't change the past – got wind of your relatives? Are your sisters safe?"

"Yeah" Ashley smiled at Shepard. "Colony girls now, really – none was on Earth so… I guess I should be kind of thankful". Her smile became strained "but that won't be for much longer, will it Skipper?"

Shepard took a deep breath "as it seems, we might have two or three months before the Reapers make their next attack… if they even bother".

"Isn't that a lot of time?" James frowned, perplexed.

"To the Reapers it is like waiting for a second" Ashley shook her head. "They are like this infinite SOB that can't take the hint. But Vega is right, Skipper. Why would they wait that long?"

"You kidding? Between Cerberus and the Alliance we humans could pretty much do the job for them if they sit it out long enough" Shepard grunted. "Don't tell anyone but…" he leaned forward "there are whispers of a revolution. Some colonies might rebel from the Alliance and Cerberus any day soon".

"What? Now of all times?" Ashley exclaimed, outraged. "We risk our necks and they go and stab us on the back".

"The Parliament is dead – the Alliance looks like it hasn't pulled its pants up since the First Contact War… people do very stupid things when they are scared, and desperate. Add a few ass-hats that had always wanted more independence, Alliance mandatory drafts and unwanted militarization and you got yourself the Stew of the Freedom Fighters boiling for dinner" Shepard explained.

"So what's the word, Loco?" James, worriedly, asked. "If the colonies start splitting from the Alliance… what are we going to do?"

Shepard took a deep breath. "We might end up killing more humans than Husks by the end of this war" he replied. There was an uncomfortable moment of silence. "I'll be going now – don't go blowing stuff up, Ash".

"Hey, why don't you look at yourself in the mirror, Skipper?" Ashley shot back. "Look who is talking about blowing stuff up?"

"Council Spectre, remember? I can get away with it – you can't" Shepard winked at her, earning a giggle from the woman. "James, don't do anything naughty while I'm gone" Shepard said as he turned to the man while he marched to the door. "You two, behave" he told them as he left.

"Follow your own advice, hypocrite" Ashley retorted before the door closed behind Shepard.

The Commander walked across the hospital, shaking a smiling head as he avoided the personnel. As he was leaving he noticed the lone drell near the window. He halted his march and, with some hesitation, approached Thane. The drell seemed contemplative, lost on some memory or another no doubt.

"Thane" Shepard called.

"Shepard" Thane replied slowly turning to look at the Commander.

"Any trouble so far?" The Commander asked.

"No" the Drell shook his head before studying the man. "The war isn't being kind to you, Shepard".

"What war is ever kind to people?" Shepard sighed. "Yeah, I know. It's the Quarians. Or at least Tali. I've got word recently that they might have done something stupid as of late and… and maybe they are all dead".

Thane remained quiet for a moment, his gaze returning to the world outside. "You truly love Miss Zorah" he stated. "I wouldn't worry that much, Commander. Quarians might be foolish from time to time, but if I've learned anything from my brief encounters with them is that they are resourceful".

"I really hope you are right" Shepard grumbled.

"Perhaps you might be interested on meeting old acquaintances of ours?" Thane suddenly proposed.

Shepard frowned. "Who?" He wondered.

"I was visited last night by a very foolish thief who thought would be a bright idea to try surprise a retired assassin" Thane said stoically, although Shepard noticed a hint of annoyance. The Commander smiled. "I nearly did something I would have regretted immensely".

"What's Kasumi doing here? And why did she go to you?" Shepard asked.

Thane leant back, his attention jumping to the Commander. "She needed assistance on something of great importance… I was truly tempted in aiding her but perhaps you would prefer spending time with a female of your own species". Was there a hint of teasing there in the cold assassin's voice?

"A-ha" Shepard muttered, not amused.

"She mentioned something about having some extra… muscle… with her" Thane said with contempt. "Something in the lines of a gruff old man that needed to retire and stop swearing like a sailor".

Shepard chuckled. "Zaeed" he concluded. "I guess I will meet them and help those two on whatever they need… as long as it isn't stealing". He stood up, pausing with a moment of consideration "or blowing something up".

"Don't worry – Miss Goto appeared serious… for once" Thane added. "You will be relieved their goal is admirable… somewhat".

"Probably killing a few hundred people, or break into a party… although knowing Kasumi she'll try to get me into some weird clothes" Shepard muttered. "Where can I find them?"

* * *

Commander Shepard raised an eyebrow at the Japanese man in front of him. Leading a ramen stand, the person thought it was necessary to pull a fake accent. Of all the things humans had imported into the Citadel… it had to be ramen… cheap noodles. Humanity's culture was doomed.

He looked around, taking a seat on one of the stools, before sighing. This place of the Citadel was shady, to say the least, with dim lighting, shady looking people coming and going from the nearby warehouse and the shops… it was a bit daunting to see so many aliens around. Shepard ignored it all though, waiting for his order to arrive.

That was when he felt it. He smiled, his eyes fixated on the cook as he went about the kitchen, preparing Shepard's order.

"So… long time no see" Shepard looked to his right, smirking "Kasumi".

From thin air, a woman on a skin-tight black jumpsuit materialized. A hood covered her head, shadowing her scowl.

"How do you even do that?" She muttered. "Never mind that – what are you doing here? I do love seeing you and all, Shep, but you aren't exactly the person I had in mind".

"You hurt my feelings" Shepard huffed. He remained quiet as he was given a bowl of noodles. It didn't smell good. He sniffed it and raised an eyebrow to the cook, who replied with an apologetic look. Turning to the famous thief, he carried on. "A good friend of ours thought it would be best if I gave you a hand on whatever business you had at the Citadel – something about an admirable goal".

"Ha, that probably had you running here" Kasumi muttered. Sighing quickly, she studied Shepard. "Alright Shep, guess we could use a Spectre's help".

"That bad, huh?" Shepard hummed as he slurped the noodles, earning a glare from the thief. "You frequent this place much, Kasumi?" He asked, containing a grimace.

"Not really" Kasumi grunted irritably as she faced the stand. "I prefer large parties with lots of expensive stuff and businessmen with large pockets". She turned to Shepard, glaring at the Spectre "I didn't choose this place, Shep. I have a stubborn Spectre on my back and right now the git is making it impossible for me to move around".

Shepard frowned with concern. "Got into any trouble?" He asked.

Kasumi looked at him incredulously. "Hello? Master Thief here?" She teased.

"Don't play coy, Ms Goto" Shepard rolled his eyes, mimicking the accent of one late Donovan Hock. It visibly irked Kasumi. "The Council doesn't send Spectres to hunt thieves unless there is something big behind him… or her". He paused, slowly placing the now empty bowl on the counter. "This is about Keiji's memory-box".

Kasumi blinked at him, surprised. "Geez, Shep, how do you do that?" She spluttered. "Yeah, that and one Hanar Ambassador". Shepard raised an eyebrow at her. "Come on, there is one grumpy hard-ass that is probably setting a bomb somewhere as we speak".

She signalled Shepard to follow her. He did, dropping a credit chit on the counter next to the bowl before walking into the crowd beyond, chasing after an invisible woman. They didn't need to go far as Kasumi led him to the nearby warehouse and behind some large boxes. They were thankfully ignored on their way there. Then again, most people appeared to be conducting shady businesses of their own. There, waiting with a scowl and arms crossed, was a familiar scarred mercenary.

Tall, with thick arms and an old-looking armour, he looked intimidating. Thick scars ravaged his face while his right eye glistened in a pale light, filled with blindness. There was an air of danger around him, and his posture suggested great destructive power.

"Shepard?" Zaeed Massani blinked at Shepard, shocked. "Ha!" He grinned. "Didn't think you'd drop on us like this".

Kasumi uncloaked next to him, glaring at the mercenary. "Thane sent him" she clarified.

"Good – I rather have a Spectre covering our arses" Zaeed grunted "and he'll make the job easier".

"First is first" Shepard told the two "details, now".

The mercenary and the thief exchanged looks. "Alright, remember what Keiji said was in the memory box? Something about some information that could start a war? Well, after you had me destroy the box I couldn't just let Keiji go. I – I walked back on his tracks and tried to piece up what he had been talking about".

Shepard nodded, indicating he was following. Kasumi hesitantly continued.

"Thing is… Keiji discovered this weird footage of an Alliance raid gone wrong. Batarian scientists were studying these pieces of what they called the Leviathan of Dis" the thief retold.

Shepard's eyes widened. "A Reaper" he interrupted.

"Yeah, but the Batarians didn't know that – or that some Hanar clients would steal the tech while the Alliance raided the place" Kasumi carried on. "The Alliance messed up big time – had to blow up the entire place and make it look like some type of power failure. The Batarians suspected the Alliance had had a hand at it, but never got the evidence to do anything".

"And that could have started a war… how?" Shepard frowned.

Kasumi frowned back at the Spectre. "You know, Shep, Batarians get uppity about the Alliance attacking their scientists and… and…" there was a moment of silence.

"The Alliance would have pointed out the batarians WERE hiding illegal Prothean tech and the Council would have gone after the Batarians' case, hard. Then the Hanar. The Alliance would have come on top, the Batarians would have lost what little credibility they might have had and the Council would have sent Spectres or STGs to investigate this Leviathan of Dis" Shepard concluded.

"So…" Kasumi's frown of confusion and denial deepened, looking at the floor, with disbelief. "We destroyed Keiji's grey box… for nothing?"

"No, for you" Shepard corrected with an air of understanding. He sagely nodded. "Keiji probably knew you would never let go of the box, Kasumi". He sent an apologetic look at him. "He made up a lie so that you would be free…"

"It – it was not a lie!" Kasumi cried out, tears in her eyes. She shook her head "I – I found all of this! This information got him killed!"

"No, Donovan Hock killed him knowing Keiji had everything he knew stored there – he had no way of knowing what exactly could be waiting inside" Shepard replied. "So the Reaper tech…" he turned to Zaeed. "I'm guessing a Hanar Ambassador has it and he is Indoctrinated?"

"Worse, that bastard has been going around with Reaper artefacts. That's the thing, Shepard" Zaeed gruffly grunted. "We have no way of knowing just how many Hanar have been Indoctrinated. The date of the raid – the one at the Batarian base… it took place two years ago".

Shepard stared at Zaeed, then at Kasumi, who still seemed unable to admit that Keiji had deceived her – convinced her to destroy all the memories he had left behind.

"Two years?" Shepard whistled. He took a moment as dread chilled his blood. "With that Tech… he could have Indoctrinated God-knows how many Hanar!"

Zaeed shrugged. "Yeah – we always have it easy, don't we?" he grumbled sardonically.

"Wait, what's your plan exactly? Go in and kill every Hanar that came in contact with this Ambassador?" Shepard frowned.

"No" Kasumi shook her head. "We will hack into the Ambassador's computer and get the list of Soul Names – I've got the name of one of them that gave Reaper Tech to another Hanar. However, I think we should deal with the Ambassador first. After all, he IS running – or hovering, or… y'know, whatever those jellyfish do – with Reaper artefacts".

"How did you get that name?" Shepard sighed, exasperated. "Alright, let's back up a bit here. How exactly did you go from a bunch of Hanar stealing Reaper tech to going after this Hanar Ambassador in the Citadel?"

"Oh, you know me well, Shepard" Kasumi giggled "I was busy, being a Good Samaritan when I came across this jellyfish with this weird tech. If I hadn't joined up with you I wouldn't have guessed it was Reaper tech. I would probably have gotten Indoctrinated myself. Can you imagine that? Thing is, the only thing I got from this Hanar's computer were his contacts, all in Soul Names".

"What happened to the owner of the Reaper Tech?" Shepard raised an inquisitive eyebrow.

"He might have had…" Kasumi shrugged innocently "an accident".

"Good" Shepard nodded with approval. This took the thief and the mercenary by surprise. "Let's focus on this Ambassador guy…" he took a moment to hum, deep in thought.

"Don't worry, Shep" Kasumi purred with a smirk. "I already have a plan". Her smile fade away quickly though, replaced by a sense of urgency. "But we need to act soon. The Old man and I think he'll do something bad – and soon".

Zaeed gave Shepard a stiff, weary nod. The Commander grimaced. What exactly had he gotten himself involved into?

* * *

Zymandis was a Hanar with a mission, a mission of the utmost importance for his people. As he slowly trudged his long jellyfish-like body across the Hanar Embassy, accompanied by his two ever-present Drell-bodyguards, Zymandis fought the urge to express his glee through fluorescence. Soon, he would aid the Enkindlers and allow his own people become one with them. At last, after so long, the path was clear…

They reached the office he had been provided, the one in which Zymandis would achieve the glory his people had been promised. He took a moment of contemplation, the excitement building up in his body.

"This one pleads that you guard this door with your life" Zymandis told his two bodyguards. They nodded, as the faithful servants they were.

"Zymandis!" A high-pitched voice cried.

Said Hanar slowly turned around to face the newcomer. The two Drell tensed, ready to strike the foe if it proved problematic to their boss. It was a Salarian, a heavily armed one at that. He looked desperate.

"Zymandis, your life is in danger!" The salarian exclaimed. He activated his omni-tool to show his credentials. "Jondum Bau, Spectre" the Salarian quickly introduced himself. "Cerberus operatives are after you".

Zymandis' body shook with annoyance and despair. No, he was too close to be thwarted. The two drell bodyguard turned for further instructions.

"This one appreciates your dedication" Zymandis told Jondum.

"You do not understand" Jondum Bau carried on. "Cerberus… I think they will strike the embassy. You need to leave immediately before it is too late".

Zymandis bristled. "This one has an important duty to fulfill. This one refuses to let my work be undone…"

"I understand, but we need to move you to safety, until these operatives had been dealt with" Jondum Bau insisted.

The Hanar considered his options. If he stayed, there were odds that the attackers would interfere and ruin his plan for good. It was only wise to leave and wait until it was safe to proceed… regardless his impatience.

"This one understands…" Zymandis conceded. "This one shall do as you request".

Zymandis, however, stopped that line of thought when he saw HIM… the destroyer of the Enkindlers! Stomping his way confidently to him, Commander Shepard seemed to stare straight to Zymandis. No, the Destroyer of the Enkindlers knew. He was here to thwart his plans.

Jondum turned around, a hand hovering over his gun. The two drell tentatively reached for their weapons as well.

"Shepard" Jondum, suspicious, said. "Hold your position, Shepard". The human, clad in his black armour, halted, surprised. "What are you doing here?"

"Stopping that big stupid Jellyfish from making a huge mistake" Shepard retorted.

The Salarian, two Drells and Human remained frozen, hands on their waists. Jondum stared at the Commander.

"You are with Cerberus" Jondum concluded.

Shepard frowned and opened his mouth to retort. However, he never got the chance. Jondum quickly drew his gun and started shooting at incredible speed. Shepard had forgotten how quick Salarians were – particularly their reflexes. The two drell bodyguards took guns of their own and joined in. Shepard jumped to a side and threw a flash-grenade, blinding the three opponents in an instant.

Zymandis, however, was already gone and locking himself in his office. He hurried over to a computer and started typing in it. Outside he heard shooting, and the sudden cry of pain of one of his bodyguards. While he regretted the loss, Zymandis ignored it and carried on uploading the salvation of the Hanar. Another cry… and then silence.

The hanar was feeling confident. He was almost done…

SWISH. The door to his office opened and Zymandis turned to face the Destroyer of the Enkindlers. The man was not alone. A human female and another male, more traitors to the glory of the Enkindlers, accompanied the destroyer.

"It is too late, Commander" Zymandis taunted the destroyer, revelling in his victory.

"Out of the way" Zaeed grunted, shooting the Hanar. Zymandis dropped with a dull thud on the ground as Kasumi hurried to the computer terminal.

"What was he doing?" Shepard asked the thief.

"He was uploading a virus… to Kahje?" Kasumi replied, surprised. "Why would he do this from the Citadel?"

"A virus?" Shepard frowned.

"Yes, to take down the orbital defences of Kahje" Kasumi nodded.

"So this jellyfish wanted to get the other jellyfish killed?" Zaeed snorted, spitting on the corpse of Zymandis. "Bastard".

"Over here!" Someone exclaimed outside.

Shepard and Zaeed traded shocked looks before rushing to the door. They started shooting at the newcomers: a squad of C-Sec.

"Hurry up, Kasumi!" Shepard told the woman.

"I'm going as fast as I can" Kasumi growled. "If you had followed my plan…"

"We would have had the entire Citadel on us!" Shepard roared. "Step back" he told Zaeed.

The two men walked away from the door and Shepard locked it for good. It wouldn't last, though. C-Sec tended to have means to quickly open any locked door.

"Ha-HA, I'm done here!" Kasumi cried in triumph. "A piece of cake, really".

"Good to know, sweet-cheeks" Zaeed grinned, turning to the window. "Take cover!" With one powerful explosion, the glass blew into a thousand pieces. Kasumi screamed in surprised as she ducked while Shepard gritted his teeth, deafened by the explosion. Zaeed cackled as he typed on his omni-tool.

"You crazy old coot!" Kasumi yelled at the top of her lungs. Zaeed just kept laughing.

A sky-car flew across onto the window, a side door opening. "Come on!" Zaeed shouted as he charged into the vehicle.

Kasumi and Shepard followed. The door slid closed just in time for when the door to the office opened and in hurried an entire armed squad of C-Sec officers. They opened fire on their vehicle, but it was for naught. They were getting away.

"WOOYAH!" Zaeed laughed like a maniac. He drove like he laughed: like a nut-job.

"I'm never going to partner with you ever again!" Kasumi roared as she crawled to the co-pilot seat. She glared murderously at the old mercenary.

"Oh, it wasn't that bad – it was half the shooting and the explosions than it would have been with Shepard" Zaeed shrugged, grinning. "I freaking missed this".

"I didn't! I for once wanted a really quiet heist for once" Kasumi declared vehemently. She took a dignified breath before huffing with anger.

"Oh, shut it lass. We are god-damn heroes" Zaeed rolled his eyes "saved all those jellyfish and lizard-men…"

"You specisist bastard" Kasumi retorted "they are called Hanar and Drell".

"Bah, who cares?" Zaeed shrugged dismissively.

Shepard noticed bright lights flashing behind them. He looked at the path behind their car and he immediately turned to his comrades. "C-Sec!" He exclaimed.

"Hold on tight" Zaeed frowned, clenching the controls "this will be quite the ride!"

Kasumi grabbed onto her seat and closed her eyes, scowling. Shepard, sadly, didn't have anything to hold himself to.

"ARGH!" Kasumi screamed alongside a groaning Shepard as the sky-car took a sharp turn and then another one right afterwards.

"Shit! Shit! Shit!" Zaeed repeated with eyes promising to pop out of his sockets as they started going straight to the ground.

"Pull up!" Kasumi yelled.

"I'm trying!" Zaeed shouted back.

There was a massive explosion as engine of the sky-car was shot by C-Sec. Smoke was filling the inside compartments and a siren was warning them of their imminent fall. Shepard activated his mag-boots and, grabbing his two companions by the shoulders, pulled them out with him like ragdools. They barely had any time to realize what was happening before Shepard kicked a side door, the door flying off into the world below… and jumped.

The Sky-car carried on flying straight to the ground, chased by four C-Sec vehicles, none noticing three people making a dive into the Presidium's lake. Kasumi and Zaeed screamed the entire way down while Shepard glared at the incoming surface. They made one huge, deafening splash which drew in the attention of dozens of pedestrians.

"Move back, step back" A turian, clad in C-Sec blue rushed to the lake's railing, beckoning the civilians to distance themselves. He was followed by more C-Sec officers, who pushed the bystanders backwards.

"Where are they?" A human asked, squinting at the lake.

"They fell into the water" a second turian answered "they are probably drowning".

"They were three humans" the human officer rebutted. "Humans know how to swim – and they had armours… could be down there somewhere".

"Call Commander Bailey" a third turian decided. "He will have our mandibles for this".

* * *

Garrus and Nyreen stood side by side staring as the sky-cars flew above them. To them, it was a beautiful sight… a turian thing, really. The dashing, flashing and swishing of those vehicles… it was mesmerizing. With cans of Turian juice of a fruit no human had ever bothered trying to name, they lazily enjoyed their moment. They were still clad in their armours, and had their guns on them, but they had no intention of starting anything. After all, being just outside dock D24, on the way between the security point and the elevator, it was not a good place to do anything other than stare at the marvel above.

The door to the elevator opened as it had dozens of times in the last hour. Garrus lazily glanced at it, expecting more of the usual human Alliance soldier, or a relative, or maybe an asari, or Spirits knows what else, only to blink, in disbelief, with his mandibles opening slowly with shock, as one familiar human walked out. He was soaking wet, with water dripping from all over his armoured body. Nyreen noticed, equally mystified by what she was seeing.

Shepard grinned at the pair, his face filled with drops and his hair flat on his scalp. "Garrus, Nyreen" he nodded at the two, moving on.

Nyreen, wide-eyed, turned to Garrus, who stared at Shepard's departing figure. Her mandibles spread wide in shock as her gaze hurried onto the turian next to her, seeking answers. "Was that…?"

Garrus leant against the railing, ignoring what he had just seen. "Yes" he said.

 **AN: reviews are appreciated.**

 **The next chapter: The First Victory**


	10. Chapter 10: The First Victory

**Chapter X: The First Victory**

 _The bed was beyond comfortable. Yes, the cabin did have a very… soothing feeling around it. Maybe it was the fish swimming on their tank to his right, the loyal space hamster far away, the space ship models straight ahead… or the naked woman next to him. Her faint purple skin, so smooth and soft… it felt like silk on his hands… and her long raven hair, cut short on her back, made Tali'Zorah one of the Galaxy's treasures. A three-digit hand gently stroke his scarred, rock-solid chest as Shepard kept a strong arm around her, keeping the woman within his reach. He grinned contently at her ministrations as they laid together under the sheets of their bed._

 _Shepard stared into her face. If the Reapers created the Relays, then God himself sculpted the face of the Quarians. It had to be. Human women could be just as beautiful, true, but none was Tali. Her eyes glowed contently, and her chest pressed itself against his body, sharing their warmth._

 _"I wish we could stay like this forever" Tali hummed, resting her head on his chest as it rose soothingly._

 _"How long until…?" Shepard eyed her, already dreading the minutes left of contact._

 _Tali closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Any moment now" she was clearly reluctant to look at the alarm clock behind her. She opened her eyes to stare into his very soul. "Is this right, Shepard?" She asked, uncertain. "Do you really want to be with… me?"_

 _Shepard smiled, his free hand moving to stroke a side of her head. She enjoyed the touch. "I think I've made my choice rather clear already" he stated._

 _Tali stared at him. "I know but…" she looked down, regretful "you should be with a human – someone who could make you happy"._

 _Shepard closed his eyes. "You make me happy, Tali… and knowing my luck, I'll take the most beautiful creature to spend my time with while I still walk on this realm" he declared. "What about you?"_

 _Tali sighed, pressing every bit of her skin she could onto his. "I know this is wrong – that I should be trying to mate with a male quarian but…" she closed her own eyes, breathing wistfully. "This feels too right to be wrong…"_

 _The pair remained quiet._

 _"Shepard"_

 _"Yes, Tali?"_

 _The Quarian pushed herself up and saddled her body over Shepard's, her hands playfully walking over his chest as she stared at him. Shepard's own hands didn't stay still, preferring to explore across anatomical parts no man had ever touched before – to boldly conquer men's final frontier. Tali's skin was just addictive to touch. A smile adorned his face as Tali started purring and she looked blissful for a moment there._

 _"Uhhh… don't stop" Tali begged contently. For a moment, she seemed reluctant to carry on with whatever she wanted to talk about. However, after she took a deep breath, Tali's resolution crawled back into her blissful face, marring it with concern. "Shepard… Do you see us - together?"_

 _Shepard lazily raised an eyebrow as Tali stared into him, expectant. "Do you mean… like on some beach house with two or three kids running around?" He wondered._

 _Tali seemed to frown at the question, clearly unused to such concept of settling down. It probably came with being a Quarian. She seemed to debate with herself about what she intended to say next, uncertain._

 _"Ehm… something like that – I think. Shepard, we quarians… we aren't like humans" Tali started saying, unsure. "Do you think that we will be… mated?"_

 _Shepard frowned. "Mated? As in… married?" He wondered. He closed his eyes, realizing what she meant. "You are asking if I want us to remain together, as a couple, even after this mission" he concluded. "Well… yeah. Why wouldn't I?"_

 _Tali sighed with sadness. "We both know why you would seek the comforts of others, Shepard… and I can't blame you for that" her happiness was gone, replaced with resignation and defeat._

 _"That's not going to happen" Shepard declared. "I want to be with you – by God Tali, you are everything I wanted from a woman, from a partner – a mate if you will" he really didn't like using such terms, but he did so regardless. "I don't think anyone else can offer what you can"._

 _Tali seemed like she wanted to protest, to contest such idea, only that Shepard decided it would be best to change the subject altogether. With a smirk, he pulled Tali under him while he moved over her. She squeaked, startled, only to cutely smile._

 _"Now, Miss Normandy – the future is a very uncertain thing. The Present, on the other hand…" Shepard whispered, leaning for a kiss…_

What? Shepard opened his eyes. Where was he? Tali, where was…? The Commander shook his head, sitting up. He looked at his left, where he had felt her… he closed his eyes. Another dream. Even so far from each other Tali was bringing consolation to him. That night (if he could call it that) had been something else. Perhaps for the first time in ages, Shepard had actually put some thought about his life past the war with the Reapers, an unlikely scenario if there was one.

The Commander flexed his arms, stretching his stiff musculature. To his chagrin, cybernetics beneath his skin increased in intensity, reminding the Commander about his past. There were new scars, glowing orange, here and there.

Why couldn't he have dreamed the entire memory through? Shepard smiled fondly, recalling the tender touch of Tali's hands, her cheeks and face… he recalled the feeling of his hand running against her skin, of their bodies in communion as they rested.

The Commander's good mood suddenly dissipated as he realized how long it had been, and how much he missed her. Just thinking about the possibility of being unable to see her, not even once again… it unnerved him. Would she even want to be with him again? A part of him was rather certain she would, but Shepard didn't want to take her for granted.

Shepard leaned backwards, scratching his chest. He looked up at the ceiling, contemplating about the future. There was one thing he could conclude about it: what an uncertain mess the future was. For starters, he didn't really hold much expectations he would see the war through. The odds were stacked against him on that end. Then, even if he lived it through… it would all depend on so many things of what followed. Could there even be a future with Tali there on the horizon?

The Commander smirked, sighing contently. And just like that, he cringed. His mind had suddenly conjured an unwanted guest: Liara. It wasn't that Shepard was resentful or anything but… he really didn't like the way his mind was taking a liking to bringing the blue-skinned alien up. Yeah, she was attractive, loyal and hard-working, but Shepard had already a commitment, one he planned to fulfil. Still, Liara was admittedly looking more tempting by the day. Even after their little conversation, she hadn't been swayed: she was hell-bent of regaining their lost love…

It wouldn't be love, Shepard grumbled mentally, it would be lust. Liara was… well… she was an asari. Her body was just perfect. He was a lone man with a lot of tension that needed to release his pent up stress. He really wanted some company. The loneliness, the lack of warmth accompanying him on his bed were haunting. Liara was there, Tali was not… his mind seemed to do the math against his own wishes.

Shepard shook his head. No, he couldn't do that to Tali, or to himself. Tali had gone through too much to simply let her suffer again because he couldn't control his raging hormones – his carnal desire for a female companion.

He groaned. Why did Liara have to do this to him?

"Good day, Commander. Are you alright, Shepard?" EDI inquired politely, her voice echoing across the cabin and brushing on his hearing like a gentle breeze.

Shepard pinched the bridge of his nose, irritated by the annoying turmoil in his heart and head.

"No" Shepard admitted. If there was one person he knew that wouldn't judge him, it would be EDI. There were perks on having an AI friend, although she liked to act the part of the loyal servant. Part of Cerberus programing, no doubt.

"Should I inform Doctor Chakwas?" EDI asked, a hint of concern in her voice.

"No… She won't be able to help me on this" Shepard sighed.

"May I ask what bothers you, Shepard?" The AI innocently queried.

Shepard took a deep breath. Should he tell her? Well, he had been debating too much with himself, a different perspective would be useful. Then again, what could EDI really say? She wasn't an organic. Her understanding of emotions were basic and limited to logic and software.

"Let's just say I've been feeling… lonely" Shepard grumbled, embarrassed at his admittance.

EDI remained silent for a moment. Then, she spoke. "Is there any way I may assist you?"

Shepard scratched the nape of his neck. How could EDI even hope to assist him in such a matter? She was an AI, an artificial life-form that was unable to understand companionship and love like organics could. "I don't think so" he shook his head. "Don't worry, I will get over it in time" he added with a sigh.

The Commander stood up, reluctantly bracing for the day waiting for him. "Any new messages?" He asked EDI as he went into the bathroom.

"You've received three new mails. The senders are Thane Krios, Zaeed Massani and an Alliance emergency bulletin" EDI replied. "You also have two new messages on your secure channels".

Shepard, busy studying his face, frowned for a moment. His gaze moved away from the glowing scar that had appeared a day prior next to his right eye. The stress, according to Chakwas, was starting to take its toll on his cybernetics, something about them overexerting themselves and burning the skin over them. Great… just what he needed…

"Two?" Shepard wondered.

"Indeed, one from Admiral Hackett with the latest reports on the Alliance's readiness and the Crucible's status and another one from Urdnot Wrex" EDI replied.

"Wrex?" Shepard exclaimed, shocked, as he turned the water of his shower on. Why would Wrex contact him through a secure channel? Heck, he had expected the big guy to just call him over if he needed something… unless it was very important.

"Yes" EDI answered.

Shepard sighed, worried, as he turned the water off. He would take a shower after he had read the important message from the Krogan. Grimly, he walked out of the bathroom and to his computer terminal. After he had verified himself to the computer, he opened the message, his heart clenching painfully. What could it be? His fears were confirmed no sooner he had started reading:

 _Shepard, the Reapers are on Tuchanka. I'm going to need you help on something. We'll talk more in the Normandy ALONE – might be there in a few hours, not sure. Clean somewhere from bugs – no one can know about what I will tell you. I'm going to need something to show you footage and images._

The Commander re-read the short message, his body going limp. The Reapers had moved onto Tuchanka? Why? He had expected them to finish the Turians after they had dealt with Earth. It made sense. Why the Krogans? Shepard gritted his teeth. He didn't like this secrecy. What was Wrex not telling him? Why did he use a secure channel? It had to be something vital… but what?

"EDI, prepare the Conference Room for a meeting between Wrex and me… make sure no one can overhear the conversation" Shepard ordered.

"Understood" EDI replied. "Anything else?"

Shepard went back to the bathroom, feeling like another cybernetic scar would start showing on his face at any moment now. "A big mug of coffee, I'm going to need one of those" he muttered.

* * *

The Commander sat at the conference room, using a box. He rubbed his nose, already feeling exhausted. A warm mug was held tightly on one hand while a ham sandwich, unfinished, rested on the table nearby. He knew it would be best if he ate it already, but his mind was lost in thought for that. Shepard couldn't believe he had forgotten about the Reapers like that. With the way the bastards had been quiet and relatively uneventful on the Terminus Systems and on Earth, he hated to admit he had let his guard down. Cerberus might have some blame on that, after all.

The door to the security checkpoint opened and in walked EDI, clad in her usual officer uniform, leading a morose looking Krogan. Wrex stomped his way into the Conference Room while EDI stepped outside the glass door that separated the Conference Room from the rest of the ship. Shepard eyed her as she stood there, staring at him impassively, before looking at Wrex. He looked awful.

The Krogan leant at the opposite end of the table, his red eyes a tempestuous hurricane of emotions that raged brightly and dangerously.

"How are you holding up?" Shepard asked, unsure how to start the conversation.

"Badly" Wrex muttered, shaking his head angrily. "Tuchanka… my home-world… it's burning once again…" he clenched his fists, slowly starting to growl. All of a sudden he exploded "AND NO ONE GIVES A DAMN!"

Shepard took a deep breath. Yep, he should have seen that coming. "What's the situation?" Shepard asked.

Wrex gruffly huffed, connecting his omni-tool to the Conference Room screen. In there, he showed Shepard an image of a planet. The Commander, surprised, stood up and went over to the Krogan's side, staring at the holographic screen.

"The Reapers didn't launch a full scale invasion like on Earth" Wrex started saying, sounding rather unsure – if not reluctant. He typed on his omni-tool and small red Reapers showed on the planet's surface. "They concentrated their attack here" a red dot started beeping over what Shepard assumed was Tuchanka. "Tarug, one of our old cities from before the Rebellions…"

Shepard frowned. "The Reapers… they aren't in full force?" He wondered, confused.

"No, maybe four hundred Sovereign class, half of which are on Orbit" Wrex grunted. "The rest are on Tarug – launching a full scale ground invasion with a horde of thousands of Husks straight to our camps and territories. The Clans are on full retreat, trying to regroup". Arrows sprouted from the red dot – Tarug – and slowly started spreading across Tuchanka.

"Why are they concentrating on that one city, Wrex?" Shepard pondered.

The Krogan remained eerily silent, glaring at the picture. Shepard stared at Wrex, suspicion bubbling within him. After a few seconds, the Krogan sighed wearily, lowering his face in defeat. He pressed a few buttons of his omni-tool and, in an instant, Tuchanka's surface was covered by twinkling blue dots.

"See those, Shepard?" Wrex grumbled. "Those are the locations of my missile silos… not just any missiles… Thannar Missiles".

Shepard raised an eyebrow, his imagination going in overdrive. The Reapers clearly were avoiding orbiting over said silos, meaning that they were weary of them… but that couldn't be possible. The Reapers couldn't be cautious of some orbital defences like that… could they?

"Thannar Missiles?" Shepard repeated with curiousity.

"Experimental technology – prototype actually" Wrex told the human. "I've smuggled them from the Terminus – when it was still decent enough for transactions. They should be able to take down a Sovereign class Reaper with ease".

"Wrex, that's impossible" Shepard remarked. "No missile can do that. As it is, I doubt nuclear missiles alone can do the trick". Not that they had tried them on Reapers.

"This Thannar Missiles aren't like your Javelins… they were developed by the batarians based on the Leviathan of Dis" Wrex sighed. "An actual Reaper – I am no engineer, but trust me when I tell you, these Thannar missiles can do the trick".

Shepard had a hard time believing that. Missiles capable of taking down Reapers that big? It was impossible, preposterous even. But… the Reaper did seem cautious, at least enough to gamble on ground forces conquering Tuchanka rather than landing themselves over the Krogans.

"How does this tie with Tarug? There were no silos there?" Shepard queried.

"On the contrary" Wrex growled, glaring at the small Reaper icons. "It was supposed to have a fully functioning facility. For some reason, it did not fire on the Reapers when they hit – that was not supposed to happen".

"Indoctrinated agents" Shepard suggested. "Maybe one of the Krogan there were indoctrinated, or an indoctrinated Krogan sabotaged the facility".

"I don't know what is worse: sabotage or treason" Wrex shook his head.

"I'll go with treason" Shepard answered. "If what you say is true and this Thannar Missiles could actually be able to destroy Reapers" _something I truly doubt_ , he mentally added "then the last thing we want is for the Reapers to keep a functioning facility with such fire power".

"Agreed" Wrex nodded. "Thing is… what are we going to do?"

Shepard's first instinct was to question the reason Wrex thought Shepard would do anything. He couldn't risk the Normandy and he wasn't a freelancer. He answered to the Council and the Alliance… most of the time. Yes, he was a Spectre, but Shepard couldn't throw his life and resources if it would only cause trouble in the end. However, he dismissed the thought.

"What can we possibly do?" Shepard wondered.

"Shepard, I know this is a lot to ask but… I need you to go and investigate the facility" Wrex turned his full massive bulk towards Shepard. He looked pleadingly at the human, something that took the Spectre aback. "If it is sabotaged, then I will need the facility destroyed. If it isn't… then we could still use it against the Reapers".

"Wrex" Shepard squinted at the Krogan "you are asking me to infiltrate Reaper-controlled territory, under the nose of the Reapers themselves and investigate what could possibly be ruins?"

"Shepard, unless we do something, more of my silos are going to fall" Wrex warned. "As we speak the Reaper forces are pushing across Tuchanka to find them. Without those silos, the Reapers will take full control of the planet".

"Do you even understand how ridiculous this is?" Shepard exclaimed, exasperated. "How do we even know this Thannar Missiles will work? Have you considered the Reapers might only be overly cautious but not scared of them? Don't underestimate those monsters – for all we know this was part of their plan all along".

"Shepard, trust me when I tell you I'm absolutely sure those missiles will purge the Reapers from the face of Tuchanka" Wrex declared furiously. "No one else can reach that facility – there are no other stealth ships on Council Space that could make it that far, and I trust you. You are the finest warrior in existence – if anyone can do this, it is you".

"God Damn it, Wrex!" Shepard yelled. "I'll be risking everything for a hunch! How do you even know the facility won't be surrounded by Reapers? Or with a Reaper on top? If we lose the Normandy…"

"So you are not going to do this?" Wrex growled, baring his teeth. "I need this. I need to save Tuchanka, Shepard! I can't do this without your help! Think about my people!"

Shepard gritted his teeth, frustrated.

"I thought you were a friend, Shepard" Wrex grunted "I guess I was wrong…"

Shepard took a deep breath, eyes closed. "Did you take this to the Council?" He softly asked.

"Are you kidding me? What do you think they would say if they knew the Krogans had been rearming all this time and had managed to do so without their knowledge? They would freak out – heck, maybe even be thankful that the Reapers are on Tuchanka now" Wrex hissed. "Much less with missiles like this". Wrex leant forward, his face mere inches from Shepard. "Are you going to help my people or not?"

What could he do? It was against common sense to take such risk. However… what if… what if Wrex was right? He had believed Shepard about the Reapers – for good reason – and probably had prepared accordingly. Was it so farfetched the batarians, who had been working on a Reaper, had developed more powerful missiles capable of taking down entire Sovereign class Reapers?

"Damn it, Wrex – if I do this…" Shepard felt his heart racing, a part of him unable to believe he was even past considering such a foolhardy mission. "You will owe me one hell of a favour, understood?"

Wrex smirked. "Wouldn't ask for anything else" he chuckled. "So you are going to do it?"

Shepard looked away. "I need to know if this missiles are as good as you say" he didn't need to look at the Krogan to know the Clan Leader was about to retort. "I know… I know – you believe they are sufficient. I want to be sure. I will be risking everything, and I mean everything, based on this. I need to know for sure – it is not up to debate". He looked at Wrex with a hardened expression. "Give EDI every detail you've got, from coordinates to the launching protocols of that facility – and schematics to those Thannar Missiles. If they are as good as you say…" Shepard took a moment to sigh "I'll do it – I'll personally go and risk my neck to check this facility out".

Wrex was visibly displeased with what Shepard was asking. He scrunched his scale face, sour about the Commander's demand. However, he didn't outright deny the human. Shepard was, after all, only being reasonable.

"Alright" Wrex huffed angrily. "I'll give you everything I've got – even how to find the bathrooms".

Shepard curtly nodded. "Then let's hope you are right, if this missiles…" he stopped, frowning as he suddenly realized something. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Wrex looked away, now he was more than just reluctant to speak.

"Why didn't you tell me you had this type of missiles with you? Do you know how this could change the tide of the war?" If they are true to Wrex's expectations, that is, Shepard added.

"…you don't understand" Wrex sighed, frustrated. "It is not that simple…"

"Really?" Shepard folded his arms, defiantly. "It doesn't look that complex from where I stand".

"I couldn't tell you, Shepard" the Krogan clarified, grumbling.

"Why not?" Shepard growled. Wrex remained quiet, unwilling to meet his gaze. "Damn it, Wrex – first the cure of the genophage, now this…" he gritted his teeth. "What happened to no secrets? I told you I didn't like being kept in the dark."

"You don't get it" Wrex grumbled. "It comes with being a leader – how many secrets do YOU have that you haven't told me, Shepard?" He folded his arms, turning to glare accusingly at the Commander. "Like the Quarians… you gave them free-access to the Collector Base".

Shepard's eyes widened. "How the…?" He gasped before frowning. "That was completely different".

"Oh? Why didn't you give the technology to the Alliance, huh Shepard?" Wrex taunted. "From where I stand, I'm not the only one that doesn't trust the Alliance".

"That's it? You don't trust the Alliance?" Shepard wondered, surprised.

"It's more than that – I don't trust the Council, or most politicians. I don't trust aliens, Shepard – except perhaps you. For all we know, they could be indoctrinated" Wrex muttered "It's nothing personal, I just don't trust the people you work with".

Shepard sighed. Why did he feel like Wrex was just inventing an excuse out of the blue? He shook his head.

"Never mind" he muttered, resigned. "I've got a suicide mission to complete…"

"I'll leave you to that" Wrex nodded.

"Give all the information you've got to EDI, Wrex – and please, don't withhold anything about this facility or the Thannar missiles" Shepard grunted.

Wrex didn't retort anything, other than grumbling softly with displeasure.

* * *

Silence. Shepard didn't need to be able to see through their visors to know that the surrounding people were sweating their bodies out of water. That or shaking with fear. The shuttle hummed gently as Cortez flew them down. Shepard nervously checked the time. Forty five minutes… fifty minutes tops… that's how long the shuttle could keep the cloak on.

The Commander didn't want to admit it, but he too was shaking in his boots. This mission could go wrong so fast so quickly… it was daunting. Traynor, clad in the standard navy blue Alliance space suit, probably took the award for the most nervous, and for good reason. She was as good as a civilian. She lacked training and she wasn't the time to jump into the fray. Now, they were all giving one huge leap into the most dangerous situation as of yet.

To say Shepard had been surprised by the schematics of the Thannar missiles might be a lie. He had been utterly floundered by them. Remembering what he had seen made Shepard as confused and troubled as he had been back then. How could he not feel absolutely lost by them? EDI and he both agreed that they were too advanced for anyone to actually develop from the blue: the alloys required were unique, even as far as calling it 'alien', the internal systems a marvel of technological advancements, and the stimulated inner firepower… it was monstrous. The Thannar Missiles were one a new level of their own in barrier-cutting, armour-piercing and power.

That brought about uncomfortable questions: where had Wrex come across them? When was Wrex planning on telling Shepard about them? Heck, was Wrex even planning to? The mere notion Wrex was keeping quiet about such – such powerful weapons… then again, he understood the Krogan's hesitation. If he had reacted the way he had, Shepard had no idea how the Council would have took it. Salarians and Turians would have been more than just outraged; they would have lost their minds over the Krogans having such weaponry.

No, Shepard wanted to know where Wrex had come across such technology. It was way too advanced for batarians. Not even the Asari, known for being the most advanced civilization (even though they didn't have the same level of risk-taking scientists as humans or salarians) were that advanced. Shepard knew one faction, or group, advanced enough to make such weapons as the Thannar Missiles: the Collectors, and by extension the Reapers. That meant one thing in Shepard's mind: someone with access to the Collector Base had created those missiles. The only two options were the Quarians, who were missing, and Cerberus… not exactly the best option at the moment.

Then again, the Batarians had been studying a Dead Reaper. Could it have been that which gave them such a technology? Shepard had to shudder at the thought of batarians with such missiles. The Commander really didn't want to imagine batarians like Balak capable of using Thannar Missiles. Not that the Krogans having them was anything more comforting, really.

So there they were, on their way down to a secret entrance to the tunnels under Tarug. The Normandy, blindly flying kilometres over the ground without scanners or navigation systems, had managed to confirm that the Reapers hadn't either overrun the place with Husks or had a massive Sovereign class vessel park over the facility. Moreover, the entire place was intact… what was odd. The only explanation was that the Reapers knew that whoever was in control of the facility, was a loyal Reaper agent… Indoctrinated people, no doubt.

Shepard eyed his loyal soldiers as the timer carried on. Any time now they would reach their destination – the secluded underground access – and separate. James stood proudly, his heavy armour imperiously imparting confidence. He was ready. He had seen the Husks and had his trusted shotgun and rifle with him. The two rookies, Private Westmoreland and Private Campbell, didn't share Lieutenant Vega's confidence.

Garrus and Nyreen stood side by side, like immobile robots, steadily prepared for action. Turians were good at hiding their doubts, after all. Shepard had to wonder if anything had happened between the two – they did spend a lot of time together. EDI, the ever faithful observer, had stated so far the two had kept a good distance from each other. Shepard really didn't know how to take that information… or if he should care at all. Liara was equally still, lost in her own thoughts, probably too concerned to do anything.

"ETA one minute" Cortez declared. Everyone reacted at that, shifting uneasily or stiffening.

They were about to start their suicide mission. For all they knew there would be hordes and hordes of husks all around, and maybe in the facility. The mission could go wrong in so many ways so quickly…

Shepard leant over into the cockpit. "Any visuals?" he asked the pilot.

"None, Commander" Steve replied, uneasy. Shepard looked through the shaded windows. Dust, wind and rubble were the only visible things out there.

"Damn… no heat signatures?"

"This is Tuchanka. Everything glows in Infra-red" Steve retorted good-naturedly. "I guess we are lucky. The planet is making us invisible on its own".

Shepard had to admit they had to be thankful of that. He leant back and turned to his comrades.

"Alright, you all know what to do" he told the team. "Privates, Lieutenant, keep the shuttle secure – don't try to contact us unless Reapers are overrunning this position, understood?"

James nodded while the two rookies timidly remained still, unsure how to respond.

"Doubt they will be able to contact anyone – not with the Reapers jamming all coms" Samantha nervously spluttered.

"Easy there, Traynor" Shepard reassuringly told the woman. "We are going to make it".

"I wish I had your confidence" the Communication specialist mumbled shyly.

"Ha, who wants to live forever, right?" James snorted, amused. "Tell you what, we make it up and the Commander buys us drinks the next time at the Citadel".

"Oy, why me?" Shepard wondered.

"Come on, you bastard, you are dragging our arses here. The least you could do is buy us drinks" James joked.

"Yes, Shepard, perhaps it's time you showed us how much you value us" Garrus joined in.

"Et tu, Garrus?" Shepard retorted.

"I'm in" Liara chimed in, somewhat chirpier.

"Alright, alright… but only one can of beer for you, Vega" Shepard smirked.

"Oh, come on, that's not fair" James protested.

The shuttle shook and suddenly the gravity of their situation returned full force. Shepard, like the rest, drew out their weapons in perfect synchronization. With grave expressions beneath their visors, they stared at the side door. It hissed open and the team raised their guns. In the darkness of the underground, barely lit by the massive hole where the shuttle had come from, the infiltration team moved out.

They were in some large cavern of sorts. It probably had been used for a subway or train, and the roof had collapsed at one point. Thus, on each side of the shuttle one could only see pitch darkness. Not that the day above was particularly bright – not with the ongoing sandstorm.

"We'll hold you on those drinks, Loco" James whispered as they separated.

Shepard nodded at the bulky man. The two nervous solders next to him eyed their dark surroundings, expecting Husks to jump from the nearby shadows.

"Take care of them – and Steve" he told the Lieutenant.

"Aye, aye, sir" James saluted. "And good luck, all of you" he soberly added.

Shepard turned around, facing the darkness in front. So it begins… He took a deep breath and glanced at his companions.

"Let's move" he ordered, heading into the tunnels beyond. He turned the flashlight of his weapon on and, together, the infiltration team trotted onwards.

To say the underground of Tuchanka was as scary as the surface would have been a lie. The cities above were scary, creepy or plain nasty. The belly of Tarug, on the other hand… the darkness made everything unnerving. The long shadows cast, the darkness surrounding them, and the mere notion that Reapers could be anywhere kept them all on edge.

The group traversed a tunnel and took a ladder to a level below. After that, Shepard didn't bother trying to keep track of the maze he was leading his team into. Trusting his HUD, he carried on, making sure he could hear the steps of his comrades. However, as they kept their pace, Shepard found it… unnerving the lack of any hostiles.

"There should be hundreds of varren here" Garrus grunted.

"The Reapers might have scared them off" Nyreen commented.

 _But where were the Reapers?_ Shepard frowned. It was hard to imagine the Reapers simply ignoring the Thannar Missile facility like that. Why not keep some units around? Perhaps they had abandoned the facility after making sure it was thoroughly sabotaged? Shepard gritted his teeth. He hated this – the unsettling tension that raised by marching into the unknown.

"Alright, the connection to the sewer should be down here" Shepard knelt on a man-hole of sorts.

"Urgh" Liara muttered with disgust. "Is it really necessary to drag ourselves through a sewer?"

"There must be another way" Garrus grumbled.

Shepard, using his omni-tool, worked on the man-hole. It was so odd that there were no security systems around or anything. Then again, the facility probably hadn't been built but rather the place had been repurposed into a missile silo, thus it didn't count with the common security measures of top-secret facilities Shepard was used to.

"Look at it this way" Shepard told Liara. "I doubt they'll expect us to take this route".

"For a bloody good reason" Traynor muttered.

"Quit complaining – at least be thankful we have our suits and helmets on" Shepard sighed, rolling his eyes. These people… if they only knew the places Shepard had been back in the day…

The Commander climbed down into the small sewer. Differently from the tunnels they had been going through, these were smaller and thus had to go crouching. That and this tunnel had water of questionable colour reaching up to their knees. Shepard was extremely thankful he had his tightly-sealed helmet on. He was sure it would reek of something unmentionable otherwise.

"Yuck" Traynor huffed. "I should have stayed at the Citadel…"

"Still no Varrens" Garrus commented.

Shepard didn't like it any more than Garrus how the local fauna seemed to be gone. However, he preferred to struggle forwards rather than think about it. The Commander probably wouldn't like the answer, after all.

"We are close" he whispered. In the end, he found a small round pipe large enough for a man to squeeze through leading upwards. This was it.

In what was a rather large bathroom, with showers and Krogan toilets, everything was extremely quiet and dark. There was a light above, but it flickered, revealing three corpses, with pools of blood beneath them. Each of the dead Krogan had wide-eyes, their faces caught with shock. It was to that room that one of the grates on the floor of the showers suddenly clicked loose, and was moved to a side.

When Shepard pulled himself into the room, he winced at the sight of the corpses. Their lack of armour was telling about had they had been caught by surprise. However, his shock was quickly replaced by curiosity. He knelt next to the hole he had come from and extended a hand. Liara took the offered hand without second thought and the Commander pulled the asari with ease.

"Dead Krogan" Liara commented, sounding disturbed by the sight.

Shepard and Liara helped Nyreen up. She was a little heavier than the asari.

"Shot, by the looks of it" Shepard grunted.

The Commander went to study one of the fallen Krogan as his other two comrades helped Traynor. So far, so good, apparently. Indeed, these Krogan had been surprised while using the room for their needs… a bad way to go. Still, the holes in them were odd. The lacked the scorched halo of Reaper weapons, but they weren't small as normal weapons… so who did it?

"I thought this was a Cerberus facility" Liara remarked as he knelt next to him, a submachinegun in her hands.

Shepard glanced at her. "This could be a rival clan secretly working for Cerberus" he stated. "That or Wrex didn't give me all the details" he added.

"Do you think he would lie to you?" Liara frowned.

"Without doubt" Shepard muttered.

"You really take me to the best places, don't you Shepard?" Garrus swore as he tried to brush the grime and filth covering him.

"Cut the chatter" Shepard hissed, standing up. "We've got a facility to take over".

The corridor outside was poorly lit. That and it was creepy. Made of bare granite, the Krogans clearly hadn't cared how ugly the place looked. It appeared to be a basement of sorts, with a nearby room being a storage room. Shepard silently moved over to it, followed closely by his team.

The large room meant for storage had all sorts of things piled up in long shelves. Crates, boxes, cables and useless stuff. There were also another body. This Krogan had been shot in the back and was clad with civilian clothing. Maybe an engineer, or a janitor. Other than that, there was nothing else of interest.

The basement had a flight of stairs to the level above, which Shepard slowly climbed, crouching, trying to be as silent as possible. The old rusty metal door roared open, and for a moment Shepard winced, believing that the facility would now be aware of them. Thankfully, no one appeared to be nearby.

The way ahead was split in two corridors, one ahead and the other to their left. This floor looked little better than the basement, without tiles on the ground or paint on the walls. Truly, didn't the Krogans care about decoration? Shepard perished the thought, checking his omni-tool to get the direction they were supposed to go.

Taking the corridor to their left, the team moved quietly and turned their flashlights off. The silence was eerie and made Shepard's heart particularly loud in his ears. They came across a door soon enough and they opened it. Inside, there appeared to be a makeshift office with a large crate serving as some kind of desk where a computer terminal was connecting to large terminal nodes. There was no one inside, dead or alive.

As they left that room, the team was quickly startled by chatter. Shepard ordered the team inside the room, who complied immediately, but he remained outside. Moving over to a corner, he activated his cloaking field – steadying his breath. There were only footsteps… faint and weird. Shepard frowned, trying not to get nervous. These were no Krogan… or humans. They didn't sound heavy enough.

Imagine Shepard's surprise when all of a sudden the enemy turned at the corner ahead only to reveal a duo of black-clad Salarians. Their silhouette gave away their species, with large round helmets, slim bodies and fragile frame. Shepard had a hard time containing a gasp of shock at the sight of the two. What the hell were two Salarians doing here? It didn't make sense! STGs? What the hell was he supposed to do?

The two unsuspecting Salarians appeared to be patrolling the corridor. Much to Shepard's relief, they ignored the door where Shepard's team so happened to be hiding. The Commander had to think of something, and fast. Someone had made it so that the facility did not shoot at the Reapers. The Krogans down below had been killed by weird weapons, probably Salarian secret weapons to swiftly dispose of the oversized lizards no doubt. The question was… where these Salarians Indoctrinated? Or did they accidentally assist the Reaper invasion by taking over what the Salarians must have perceived a clear threat of a Krogan missile base?

Commander Shepard didn't have an option. With hardened resolution he approached the two Salarians, not making one sound, and just as one of them turned around – having noticed something from the corner of his eyes – Shepard attacked. The first Salarian could only release a soft 'ugh' as an omni-blade went through his neck. The second Salarian, who swiftly managed to snap his head towards Shepard, barely managed to raise his weapon, before the human punched him in the gut and broke his neck with ease.

"Salarians?" Liara gasped as they dragged their bodies into the room they had just come out from. "Shepard, what the hell did you do?"

Garrus and Nyreen stared at the dead Salarian, dumbfounded.

"Now is not the time, Liara" Shepard muttered. Things were getting complicated, fast. "I can't take any chances".

"Shepard, these are STG members" Garrus pointed out, still trying to shake his shock off. "Why did you kill them?"

Shepard gritted his teeth.

"They were our allies" Nyreen remarked, thunderstruck.

"All of you, now is not the time" Shepard repeated wearily. He needed to come up with a good excuse.

"Shepard, you've just killed-" Garrus was saying before the Commander interrupted him.

"We are in the middle of Reaper Territory, Reapers who have kept their distance from this place, and we find a Salarian team where it shouldn't be. What does it tell you about these Salarians?" Shepard hissed.

"You think they have been Indoctrinated?" Garrus frowned. "Shepard, we don't know that for sure…"

"What we do know is that the Reapers were interested in this place. They launched this invasion almost at the same time this facility was taken over" Shepard pointed out. "What does this tell you?"

"It could be a coincidence" Liara suggested.

The Commander felt he was between a rock and a hard place. He should have told them everything, in hindsight, but back then he couldn't risk it. Word got out about the missiles, and Liara, Garrus or Nyreen might have done something stupid – not that Shepard truly believed that but… he should have told them.

"No, it is not" Shepard sighed.

"What aren't you telling us?" Liara wondered, probably squinting behind her shaded visor.

"This facility… both Wrex and I knew the purpose of it all along" the other's stared with shock at their leader. "It holds prototype missiles – the sort that could take down entire Reapers".

"Th-that's impossible" Garrus whispered.

"Why didn't you tell us?" Liara, outraged, demanded to know.

"I'll tell you after we retake this facility" Shepard growled warningly. "We are wasting time, as it is".

"You should have told us" Liara insisted.

"Maybe, but that is in the past" Shepard muttered. "Let's move on".

The team hesitantly did so. Shepard could only curse his stupidity for having withheld such information from his team, but… well, he didn't have an excuse. Discovering the existence of the Thannar Missiles and their true potential had been a shocker on its own. With the uncertainties of the suicide mission, he knew he just couldn't risk anything happen. Was it paranoid of him? With the Reapers, maybe he wasn't paranoid enough.

"Intruders!" A high-pitched voice exclaimed, as the team were surprised by three fully-armed Salarians.

Shepard didn't stall. He rolled to a side and answered fire, taking one of the enemies. "Open fire!" he ordered as he activated his cloaking device, charging straight to the Salarians at the other end of the corridor.

"Enemies, I repeat we have – URGH!" One of the Salarians cried out just as Shepard appeared in front of him and stabbed his gut. The other two Salarians, surprised by the invisible human, were gunned down by Shepard's team.

"Damn it!" Shepard growled. "This shouldn't have happened, damn it! They know we are here". He turned to his team. "Come on!"

And so the onslaught began. They run forward, where they encountered a full force of Salarians. There were like five of them, holding their ground and taking cover behind door frames. Shepard didn't have time for them, making use of his unbelievable marksmanship to blow their heads quickly. Garrus, with his sniper rifle, assisted disposing of those bastards. Sadly, just as they dealt with the five enemies, more showed up.

"Liara, singularity!" Shepard commanded.

The asari, hesitating for a moment, did as told. Taking the Salarians by surprise, a small energy ball formed over the enemies. They were lifted from the ground, drawn by the singularity, only to be killed by Shepard's team.

"We need to hurry!" Shepard yelled, rushing forward.

Shepard didn't keep count of the enemies he killed, but he was rather surprised after the twentieth Salarian they encountered as the moved across the bare granite corridors. Perhaps their kill count was over thirty five as they reached the next level. Just how many of them had infiltrated the base? The fact these were STGs… that was just disturbing. These could be innocent soldiers doing their job who had foolish and stupidly helped the Reapers invade of Tuchanka. It also made Shepard worry about something else. This STGs… what if they managed to warn the Council or the Salarian Union of the Krogan missile silos?

Gritting his teeth, and with his fury driving him onwards, Shepard kept killing with his assault rifle. Nyreen made use of her biotics more than once as they were ambushed on the hallways. Her barrier ability, creating domes that shielded them, proved invaluable, while Liara's singularity gave them a tactical edge, literally pulling Salarians out of cover. Garrus amazing sniper skills were also rather convenient for those Salarians who hoped to get the jump on from ignored corners. Traynor… Traynor simply ducked to the nearest cover and kept her head down, terrified.

Before he even knew it, they had come across some type of dining hall where Salarians had made a barricade with the tables… and dead Krogan. It was a stupid move on their part. With the combined biotic-power of Nyreen and Liara, they squashed the amphibians with their own barricade. To think there were people out there that didn't consider biotics as dangerous.

How many floors did they climb? How much time did it take them to reach their destination? Shepard had no idea. By then, Liara and the two turians didn't give a damn if they were STGs or not. The way the bloody Salarians were taking shots at them was infuriating, as well as their numbers. Shepard quickly repressed the thought of explaining this to either the Council or the Union… focused on getting to the Command Centre.

It might have been seven or six Salarians who remained at the last location. They had tried barricading within what Shepard knew was the main control room, but like with the attempts of their fellow squad mates, these salarians discovered that desks were a foolish place to take cover behind when dealing with biotics. By then, of course, Liara and Nyreen were nearing their limits.

One Salarian remained standing. He had been apart from his comrades, more focused on the console in front of him. The place looked weirdly enough like those Command Centres of the old vids. Beeping node terminals on each side, long desks filled with computers in rows… and massive screens in front. Cables filled the floor like roots of a forest, and Krogan bodies covered certain spots here and there, either cold on the floor or still seated. They had all been taken by surprise, apparently.

"I repeat, Cerberus is here and killing us all!" The STG Commander, most probably, cried out. He noticed Shepard looming over him – a bit too late. One solid punch and the Salarian, who had removed his helmet, fell on his butt.

The Salarian, recovering quickly from the punch, glared at Shepard, before a look of confusion took over him. "W-Who are you?" He frowned, baffled. "Mercenaries?" His gaze fell on the two turians. "Not Cerberus, but then…" Shepard noticed the Salarian's attention focusing on his chest – most probably the N7 logo. "Shepard" he hissed. "I knew it – we all knew it… traitor".

"I'm not the traitor here, you idiot" Shepard growled, aiming his gun at the Salarian. "What the hell were your orders?"

"Taking over a dangerous missile silo from the Krogans… but you already knew about this place" the Salarian spat with disdain. "You probably even helped them".

"Shepard, the link is still open!" Traynor gasped.

Shepard's eyes widened as the Salarian sitting in front of him smirked. Now, whoever was receiving the message from the other end did not only heard the Salarian naming him, but also Shepard's voice.

"Hold on, what about the Reaper jamming?" Garrus wondered.

Shepard almost sighed in relief. That was true. Transmissions of that type would be cut out by the Reapers. Thank God. That and they had already confirmed that the Reapers had destroyed the Relay's com buoys. No message would leave this system.

"Sh-Shepard" Traynor stammered. "I- I think…" she gulped, turning slowly to Shepard. "I think they are using a Reaper as a communication relay".

"What?" The Salarian on the floor exclaimed. "Reapers? What is this madness? There aren't Reapers here. We are connecting to the communication buoys through secret STG satellites in orbit".

"There are no STG satellites in orbit" Shepard told the Salarian. Had the Reapers actually tricked the STG in believing one of them was said satellite? That was… that was a shocking. That meant the Reapers probably were well aware of him…

Shepard didn't bother any further. "Take him prisoner, now, before we-"

BOOM. The entire world shook and they all heard a giant explosion.

"The Reapers are here!" Shepard cried out. "We don't have time" he moved to the control console and linked his omni-tool to it. Access codes, control VI and software downloaded themselves onto the entire inner network of the facility. To his surprise, the targeting systems were still operational… as was the silo. However, the beeping all around and the siren above didn't foretell anything good.

"Enemy breach" a Krogan voice boomed across the facility. "Multiple hostiles detected. Prepare for combat!"

"Damn it" Shepard hissed. He glanced at the terrified Salarian who was slack-jawed on the floor.

"A Reaper must have dug a way for Husks" Garrus, starting to panic, exclaimed.

"Traynor, open a channel to everywhere on Tuchnaka!" Shepard ordered.

"Underst- No! We are being jammed" Samantha cried out.

"That's why I brought you here. Get me that link, now!" Shepard commanded.

There was a long, distance, chill-inducing screech.

"I- I can't do it!" Samantha screamed, starting to cry behind her helmet. The pressure was getting the best of her.

"You are the bloody best communications officer in the entire Alliance, soldier!" Shepard shouted. "I know you can do it". Traynor remained quiet, staring at Shepard. "Do it, now!"

With newfound determination, Traynor started furiously tapping onto the console. "Maybe alternating frequencies… add counter-interference… no, false signal…" she mumbled, working with desperation on her terminal.

"Shepard, they are coming!" Garrus hissed.

Indeed, the screeching was getting louder.

"Oh, Goddess…" Liara gasped.

"Hold them back" Shepard ordered, standing over the command computer, his omni-tool still connected.

Garrus, Nyreen and Liara took positions where Salarians had made a valiant stupid last stand against them only moment before. They even moved their makeshift barricade back into position. By the sounds of it, there were hundreds of Husks screeching towards their position. And without further ado, they arrived.

Human Husks raced to them, like possessed demons of hell. The defenders held their ground, desperately repelling the attack. Shepard, still standing with his back to the barricade, turned around and joined in with his own handgun, taking precise headshots. It wasn't enough. Liara and Nyreen had to use their biotics, already tired as it was, to push them back and give them a new chance. The pile of husks was torn to pieces by one of Garrus' grenades, giving them seconds of respite.

Instead of more Husks rushing to their position, though, they were soon being shot at. Standing like normal marines, but clad in strange dark-grey smooth plated armour, where human husks. Their helmets gave them four glowing blue eyes and they appeared thinner, somewhat skinnier, than their normal counterparts.

"What are those?" Garrus wondered.

"Shoot first, ask questions later!" Shepard roared as he discharged his gun on one of the new husk types. They had powerful kinetic barriers on them, but not strong enough for Shepard's marksmanship.

Just when it seemed that the defenders had the upper hand against this shooter-Reaper minions, the old fashioned Husks, the zombie type, showed up again in masse. Again, the team did what they could to hold them at bay, but yet again, Liara and Nyreen had to push them back with biotic shockwaves.

"I've got it!" Traynor exclaimed, joyous.

Shepard's response was instantaneous. He typed on his omni-tool and… beep. Message sent. Targeting solutions: delivered. With wide-eyes, disbelieving, Shepard couldn't believe the dozens of 'understood' he got back.

"Prepare for missile launch!" The Krogan VI above roared in triumph. "Missiles launched".

Shepard de-activated his omni-tool and turned to join his comrades. With his assault-rifle joining in, the Husks suddenly were unable to gain ground on them. Traynor's shot blindly, helping too. If the first explosion had shaken Tuchanka, the one they felt afterwards might have as well shaken the entire solar system. Dust came off the ceiling, cracks formed on the floor and the facility promised to cave in. But it didn't, thankfully.

While a bit surprised by the earthquake, the defenders were quick to recuperate and hold their ground to the never-ending masses of Reapers. Shepard give a loud battlecry, releasing the tension he had felt prior. They were going to bloody make it – he was going to make sure of that!

And just like that, it ended. Five panting people rigidly stared at the large pile of Husks that blocked most of the way. The last shooting-type human husk had fallen and none had emerged to take its position. Wearily, they all traded looks. Was that it?

"Is- is it over?" The remaining STG, who Shepard had forgotten entirely about, mumbled.

"It seems so…" Garrus replied, unconvinced.

Seconds before minutes, and nothing came out charging at them. Then the world shook yet again, but less than before. The loud thuds of massive things falling onto the world above vibrated loudly across the facility.

"Shepard?"

Shepard frowned, pressing a button on the right side of his helmet. "James, what did I said about trying to communicate with me?"

"I- no, it's just that – Jesus Christ man, the R-Reaper… it was destroyed!" The laughing voice echoed across the empty building. "Look at this, Commander!"

Immediately, Shepard started receiving video. He activated his omni-tool, raising a small holographic screen. There, being recording probably by James through his own omni-tool, they all managed to look at a clear sky. There was no dust or sand, or wind for that matter. High above, from the yellow dirty looking clouds, came what looked like asteroids. Then the camera lowered, revealing a massive leg… a Reaper leg.

"Goddess" Liara gasped, starling Shepard as she crept behind him.

"We - we did it" Garrus mumbled, shocked. "We killed a Reaper… a Sovereign Class Reaper."

Shepard released a long sigh he didn't know he was holding. He grinned, slowly removing his helmet. These Thannar missiles… they worked. They could bloody destroy the Reapers! There was hope!


	11. Chapter 11: Choices Presented

**Chapter XI: Choices presented**

Commander Shepard felt… happy? Satisfied? Released? Well, maybe not to that extreme but… he was in a particularly good mood as he washed his sore body. The hot water felt like tender hands caressing his skin, and he relished in its comforting and delicate touch. Sadly, nothing lasted for ever, did it? He had to reluctantly leave the shower at one point. As he cleared the mirror of the bathroom, his good mood vanished. There, visible for the world to see was yet another glowing cybernetic scar glaring back at him. The one he already had on his left temple was now more prominent, and all over his cheeks thin lines were starting to show. Shepard shook his head, disgruntled.

 _Cerberus and their illegal experiments…_ he mentally swore. Not that Shepard could really complain now, could he? Thanks to Cerberus unethical practices, he was back in the world of the living. That didn't mean he felt comfortable not knowing what they had done to him. The eerie fact this technology was way too similar to the one on Husks was anything but reassuring. The only thing Shepard could do, though, was try to relax and release as much pent-up stress as he could, and his cybernetics would fade back into his skin – or rather his skin would manage to grow over them once again.

The Commander sighed despondently, drying himself off with a towel. Grumbling softly, his mind wandered off to the victory they had had on Tuchanka. The Thannar missiles… they actually worked. There had yet to be an estimate on the number of Reapers destroyed. Still, it wasn't over. There were hundreds of thousands of Husks stuck on Tuchanka, pushing against the Krogan.

Shepard walked out of the bathroom, thoroughly distracted. He would have to talk to the Alliance leaders about those missiles and refocus all of their efforts in building thousands of them. That and adapting ships to launch them for space warfare. Perhaps they could modify Dreadnaughts into missile silos of their own. With fleets of Frigates with Thanix Cannons and planets protected with Thannar Missiles, this war wasn't completely lost… was it? It was too early to underestimate the Reapers again, sadly.

"Shepard"

To say the Commander was startled might have been underplaying it. He nearly fell off his butt having been too engrossed on his thoughts. There, standing next to him, was none other than EDI, in her robotic body, staring curiously at him. Her blonde hair was fully exposed, nothing over her head. Her pretty blue eyes glittered under the light of the cabin and, strangely enough, she smiled with amusement. It was odd seeing that much life in a lifeless entity.

The Commander stood up. "EDI, don't do that" he admonished.

"I apologize" EDI nodded at him, still smiling. Shepard was thoroughly irked by the smile. But to the Commander's growing surprise, EDI stepped forward – boldly putting a hand over his chest. Her movements were… awfully natural, perfectly mimicking an organic woman. At the moment, it was almost impossible for Shepard to admit that she might be artificial. "I didn't mean to startle you…" Was that smile seductive?

"EDI?" Shepard frowned at the artificial woman, whose smile grew ever so slightly "what are you…?" The question died in his mouth as EDI leaned forward. Shepard knew what was happening and had what felt like an eternity to do something. Sadly, his mind wasn't exactly capable of processing the fact the synthetic face was moving onto his. By the time he realized he was even supposed to do something, it was too late. EDI's lips were meeting his and… damn, Shepard had forgotten what a kiss felt like.

It was sadly the worst moment to remain frozen, too shocked to act. It was with EDI kissing him tenderly, a hand moving from his chest onto a side of his face, that Liara T'soni decided it was best to intrude into his cabin. Needless to say, Shepard was not the only one dumbly standing, with wide-eyes, and taken aback.

EDI leaned back a bit, allowing for a gobsmacked Shepard to see Liara. Their eyes met and Shepard suddenly felt it would have been a lot easier if he had stayed dead long ago.

"Wha – you? I…" Liara spluttered, bewildered. "I – I should come later".

Once again, Shepard was too slow to act. By the time he could even think of exclaiming "Wait", Liara had turned around and almost run out of the room. The Commander immediately groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose, before glaring at a still smiling EDI. His heart painfully clenched at how innocent her face was. Damn her synthetic nature – she was probably excellent at coming with all sorts of faces.

"EDI, explain. Now" Shepard glared at the artificial woman.

"I apologize again, Commander" EDI's smile faltered. "I did not expect Dr T'soni to walk on us".

"EDI, I said explain, not apologize" Shepard squinted at the cheeky AI. "Why in God's name did you kiss me?"

EDI tilted her head. "Given your hormonal levels and the amount of stress registered by your armour, I saw fit to attempt to make you relax" she said in a monotone. "Your performance will be affected if you do not manage to reduce your stress levels – not to mention that your cybernetics might start showing on your face, something you wish to avoid".

"EDI, there is a giant leap of logic from trying to get me to chill to kissing your commanding officer out of the blue" Shepard, folding his arms, grumbled. He hummed thoughtfully as squinted with suspicion at her. "What drove you to do that?"

"Your welfare and happiness are part of my programming, Shepard" EDI replied. "I saw it necessary to attempt intercourse in order to assist you maintain your performance".

Shepard blinked at the android in front of him. Did he hear right? Did EDI just… did she just admit she intended to try to have sex with him? He felt an eyebrow rising, yet his cheeks started burning a bit. While EDI had been a bit… blunt on her approach, Shepard couldn't deny that EDI looked somewhat appealing. Then again, he had to dismiss those thoughts (or rather try to punch them back to the entrails of his mind). This was an artificial being, not an organic one… an admittedly too attractive one, mind you.

"EDI, don't play dumb with me. You knew I would react negatively to such an action" Shepard remarked. "Alright, be straight with me. Aside from trying to…" Shepard cleared his throat, somewhat embarrassed. It didn't help that EDI was shooting flirtatious smiles at him… or that she had yet to remove a hand from his chest "…try to maintain my performance, why did you take the route you did? There were other reasons, weren't there?"

EDI tilted her head, looking innocent. "Perhaps…"

"EDI…" Shepard drawled, not amused. The android remained awfully silent, arms moviing behind her and looking like a child caught red-handed stealing cookies. If only it was as simple as that… His mind, in a fury of thought, suddenly managed to piece the puzzle up all too quickly. "Hold on a moment, you are aware of the location of all crewmates. You knew Liara was on her way here. Hell, you probably knew that by the time you kissed me she would walk inside…" his eyes widened "you did it on purpose. You WANTED Liara to see you kissing me".

"Perhaps…" EDI kept her childish act.

"EDI, please" Shepard took a deep exasperated breath. This was frustrating, to say the least. "Why? Why the hell did you do that?" No answer. "EDI, please, I rather not start mistrusting you" he softly said.

EDI looked up at him, no longer smiling. Her face was emotionless, but her eyes had a strange shine to them, almost mimicking curiosity.

"My own readings suggested that Dr T'soni would attempt to mate with you – preliminary observations suggested she has tried previous advances on you and thus I concluded that she would try something bolder" EDI explained. "Given your previous reluctance and the fact you still wish to maintain your current relationship with Tali, I deemed it necessary to deceive Dr T'soni into believing we were about to perform intercourse. Thus, she will avoid future attempts".

Shepard blinked at the android. Alright, that was extremely devious on EDI's part, but it did make sense. If anyone could notice Liara's not-so-subtle attempts on getting back together, it was EDI. EDI was fully invested on Shepard's life, so her actions didn't come as much as a surprise now.

"There is a flaw in your logic there" Shepard pointed out. "Liara might be dissuaded now, but now my relationship with Tali is at the brink of absolution". He grimaced. "And with a synthetic… I am in so much trouble now…"

EDI smiled at him. "I do believe Tali will be appreciative of my actions" she declared confidently.

Shepard didn't know what was surprising. The fact EDI was unapologetic of what she did or that she truly believed Tali wouldn't shove her shotgun on his gut. It wasn't like they were married… but Shepard didn't think she would take it as well as EDI thought.

"She dislikes Dr T'soni, after all" EDI offered.

"Tali doesn't dislike Liara" Shepard huffed, surprised EDI would even suggest such a thing. "They are like… best friends, aren't they?" Well, now that EDI mentioned it, Tali wasn't exactly fond of Garrus or Liara back in the day, and it wasn't like Tali had been appreciative of Liara's coldness to Shepard. Things had changed with the new Garrus, the hard-ass that changed greatly after his time on Omega. However, Tali never really actually got a chance to talk and befriend Liara like she managed to do with Garrus. Still, Tali hating a fellow being was a strange image in his mind.

EDI stared at Shepard. "Quarians, Tali included, preserve a deep hatred for Asari" she stated all too bluntly. "Tali wished to avoid confrontation and was well aware of what you believed about racism. Thus, she has kept her opinions to herself".

Shepard needed to take a seat. He went over to his desk and, unceremoniously, dropped onto the comfy chair there. He shook his head, eyes closed. Tali was… a speciesist? Alright, now there was the new 'Krogan in a niqab' kind of thing that Shepard couldn't fit into his mind – or rather kick out of his head.

"Your mistake is assuming Tali, or quarians in general, come from a similar background as humans. Quarian history lack racial conflicts, having a relatively small array of phenotypes as humans do – at least before first contact. More importantly, quarians have long attempted to discourage fellow quarians from mating with asari. According to Quarian lore, the union with an asari is heresy against the wisdom of the Ancestors. It was one of this evident dissonances that culminated with the asari withdrawing all support of quarians, even before their exile. In their eyes, the fate of the Quarians was but the will of the Goddess".

Shepard blinked. The asari couldn't be that petty, could they? But then again, perhaps that would explain why the council didn't bother assisting the quarians at all, not even a little, to the point they almost forced the Quarians into living as nomads. With the Turians probably unwilling to give away one of their rare dextro-garden worlds and the Asari in contempt with the Quarians… the council wouldn't have batted an eye to the quarian situation. Add the dangers of the Geth and…

"Damn" Shepard muttered. He had never taken Quarians as racists, but then again, Tali had said they were rather insular. EDI was right, though, it had been naïve of him to assume Quarians would share all human values. Did many of Tali's doubts that night they first managed to share an intimate moment stemmed from her people's views with mating with aliens? "So you think Tali would prefer you – ehm – kissing me than Liara?"

"Considering Liara used to be the mate previous to Tali herself, it is safe to assume Tali would rather if you kept a large distance from Liara in fear your old relationship was rekindled" EDI remarked.

Could Tali be that jealous? Shepard wondered. This was a part of Tali he had been rather ignorant about. That or he had wistfully ignored it.

"Tali would also approve of our union" EDI added, with a smile that bothered Shepard to no end.

"Hmmmm…" Shepard hummed, expressing the uncertainty of that statement. Well, it wasn't uncertainty. He really couldn't bring himself to believe Tali would remotely even consider her – what was it? Boyfriend? Mate? God knows what – doing anything with a synthetic of all things. Quarians had, after all, a bad history with AI. "Maybe we should talk about this… later" Shepard decided.

"Understood" EDI nodded with that smile still in place, a bold hand caressing his chest again. "Is there anything you wish to discuss?"

"Well, since we are at it" Shepard shrugged, removing the invading hand off his personal space. EDI replied with a playful pout. "What's the situation on Tuchanka?" He Commander queried, as he tried to concentrate with the task at hand.

"We have been able to establish communications with the Krogan forces on the ground, Commander, but it would appear that the Krogan are being pushed back by the Reapers. Orbital footage have shown that the Reaper forces have gained territory since the destruction of the Reapers on Tuchanka" EDI reported, hands moving behind her and standing, professionally, in full attention.

"Any news on the Reapers?" Shepard wondered.

"According to Krogan reports, Fifteen Sovereign Class Reapers have been destroyed over Tarug – with forty confirmed hits of Thannar Missiles. The number of Reaper casualties on orbit have yet to be confirmed, although estimates are between ten and twenty" EDI answered.

"That's… a good number" Shepard admitted. Then he frowned, realizing that they had killed too few Reapers. Yes, it was more than in most cycles… probably… but it was still not enough. For all Shepard knew, there were millions of Reapers on Earth, Karshan and God knows where else.

"Given our estimates, it won't be enough" EDI pointed out.

Damn it, Shepard mentally swore. Then they were on an agreement. The Thannar Missiles were good… but not enough. Nothing would be enough.

"Why are the Reapers stalling like this?" Shepard grunted. "With the numbers they have, they could overrun the galaxy before we knew it".

There wasn't really much reason why the Reapers would actually abandon the star system, after all. Why not move out to the Mass Relay and cut Tuchanka off? It didn't make sense.

"That would be the case, if their purpose was the destruction of organic life" EDI replied. "Their intention is to harvest civilizations. While an all-out strike might be successful, it would cause unprecedented chaos in the survivors and cause an uncontrolled scenario for the Reapers".

"What do you mean?" Shepard frowned, confused. He folded his arms, attentively studying EDI's pretty face.

"It stands to reason that the Reapers do not wish anything that might give them away reaching the next cycle. To that end, they need to avoid losing track of their targets… us. If they attacked the home-worlds and colonies at the same time, it would be impossible to guarantee that small numbers could escape their notice and hide on distant planets. While survival would be limited, there is a risk that their ships and technology would later be discovered by the next cycle and warn them about the Reapers beforehand – or perhaps the next cycle would be ruined by desperate survivors attempting to hide next to primitive cultures spared by the Reapers" EDI explained. "There is even a risk that surviving groups might eradicate primitive species in hopes of ruining the Reaper plans out of spite, or destroy mass Relays and thus entire systems with them…"

Shepard slowly nodded. "True…" he hummed, agreeing with EDI's assessment. As long as the species thought there was hope of winning, they wouldn't do anything rash. That's what the Reapers wanted, their prey to fall under a fall sense of security.

"Alright, I guess I should check on the crew" Shepard sighed wearily. "The Council will soon send someone to get my head soon enough for this". He stood up, flexing his muscles a bit. "Oh, and EDI?"

"Yes, Commander?" EDI asked with a smile.

"Give me a heads-up if you want to kiss me again" Shepard deadpanned. "My life is complicated enough without having to include a jealous Asari and an overprotective AI".

EDI nodded, with her smile widening a bit. "Understood" she murmured, a glint of mischief sparkling in her bright blue eyes.

* * *

Shepard really didn't want to do this. Of all the things he would be doing after a suicide mission, this was not it. Then again, circumstances had forced his hand. Thus, he swallowed a deep, nervous breath and, mustering his courage, stepped forward. The door immediately opened and Shepard hesitantly opened into Liara's room.

The Commander raised an eyebrow at the wall covered with screens to his right, or the large bed straight ahead. He was rather curious as to how Liara got all that stuff into the ship, or why she actually took over the XO cabin that belonged to Ashley. As a matter of fact, where had she been sleeping? With the crew? Like James?

Speaking of which, Liara was busily working on a computer, her face fixated on the screen as if her life depended on it. She didn't look sad, or angry. Only… resigned. Defeated. Shepard felt guilty about that. She didn't appear to notice the door to her cabin open, or the man slowly walking inside.

"Welcome, Commander" a familiar annoying voice greeted Shepard. The man looked down, somewhat irritated, as the familiar form of the Shadow Broker's drone flew like a guardian dog to hover in front of Shepard.

"Sh-Shepard?" Liara asked, surprised.

Shepard turned to Liara, forcing a smile on his face. "Hey" he eyed the small holographic thing that stared back at him. "So you kept the annoying thing".

"Glyph has been of great assistance" Liara smiled kindly at Shepard. "Particularly seeing how busy I've been as of late".

Shepard walked inside, walking to stand next to the Asari who studied him with suspicion.

"I see you've been settling here" Shepard hummed. "What happened to your old ship?"

Liara sighed remorsefully. "I should have expected Cerberus to appear. They had the location of my ship, after all, so it was not surprising when they launched an assault a few days after you were locked on Earth" she retold with a faint, sad smile. "I was a bit disappointed: one Cerberus cruiser. I had expected more from the Illusive Man – still, the fact he managed to do so without my knowing is telling".

Shepard frowned, worried. "He captured the Shadow Broker's ship?" The thought of Cerberus gaining access to such an archive of secrets… it was horrifying.

"Not… quite" Liara smiled. Shepard raised an eyebrow as he noticed that she winced at something she recalled. "When it was clear Cerberus was here to capture the ship, I rigged it with explosives and redirected the ship on a collison path with the cruiser…" she shook her head, disappointed at the memory. "It was a stupid idea. The Cruiser shot the ship down with a single shot…"

"The shadow Broker ship didn't have kinetic barriers or a strong hull" Shepard pointed out, looking at Liara with some disappointment of his own. What had she been thinking? "As a matter of fact, we both knew the design was made solely for the planet's unstable atmosphere". Shepard's expression turned grim. "How did you get out?"

"By virtue of the Goddess" Liara shook her head, eyes wide as she recalled what it had been like. "While the cruiser targeted my ship, Feron and I slipped through on a shuttle. We thought we would go undetected, but we were quickly surrounded by fighters. They almost had us, but slipped into FTL just in time".

"Damn" Shepard commented. He grinned. "If I didn't know any better I'd say you have grown a liking to explosions".

Liara looked down, somewhat embarrassed. "Perhaps" she mumbled.

"Where did you go from there?" Shepard asked, before adding morosely "wait, you mean that the Shadow Broker's archives, the galaxy's secrets… are gone?"

"Not quite" Liara smugly replied. "I was able to upload most of our information onto the shuttle. From there we went to Kahje and hid. Feron had contacts there, Hanar and Drell alike, that assisted us – it was there when I was invited to study Prothean artefacts for the Hanar. Those weren't just any artefacts either. Most were new, but the Hanar granted me complete access to their Beacon, the ones the Protheans had left behind on one of Kahje's moons. It was there where I discovered fragments of this weapon – a hint of a greater whole… the Crucible".

Shepard gasped. "You… what?" He stuttered, disbelieving.

"Sadly, the Hanar early attempts in unveiling the secrets of…" Liara giggled "the Enkindlers had corrupted and ruined most of the useful data. However…"

"If you found information on the Prothean Beacon of the Hanar, it could be on the Beacons of other species" Shepard slowly realized. "That's why you were on Mars. You figured out that the Crucible could be there".

"It was a hunch, and at the time I wasn't even sure it was a weapon – I was more of the thought it could actually provide the schematics for us to come up with a weapon of our own. But in the end I was right" Liara smiled gratified at her success. It faded away quickly. "Cerberus was there too, on Kahje…"

Shepard's eyes widened. "Jesus, Cerberus…"

"They probably followed me to Mars too" Liara sighed.

"Don't blame yourself" Shepard comforted the saddened asari, placing a hand on her shoulder. She smiled appreciatively. "It is not your fault Cerberus is that tenacious".

"I should have done better, Shepard" Liara insisted. "They had been on my trail ever since I escaped from the Shadow Broker ship. They used me all along, Shepard. Cerberus wasn't helping me get to Feron… all they wanted was for someone to replace the previous Shadow Broker, someone who could mess it all up like I did".

"Liara, you didn't -" Shepard rubbed the back of his neck, uncomfortable. "You didn't mess up. You had a lot on your plate and-"

"And I screwed up" Liara, with a look of disgust, swore. "I was so blinded with revenge, so desperate to look for Feron, that I didn't question Cerberus' motives. Do you see these?" She pointed at the wall covered with wall. Shepard dubiously nodded, confused. "They were supposed to have dozens of agents, MY agents, reporting straight to me. Do you know why they are silent?"

Shepard didn't need to be a genius to know what had happened. "Cerberus" He replied.

"Yes, Cerberus secretly tapped into all communications coming from my ship and found the location, identity and a myriad of other things from my agents. While I was escaping to Kahje, Cerberus went after them, one by one. By the time I was able to start reconnecting with them…" Liara's cheeks glistened with tears. "I- I lost so many… it didn't matter where they went to. Cerberus found them and – and – I don't know what they did to them. I must be the most pathetic Shadow Broker in existence!"

"Hey…" Shepard softly said, patting Liara.

She looked at him, teary eyed while he tried to ease her pain with his own sympathetic smile. The asari immediately jumped from her seat and wrapped her arms around the Commander. It wasn't Shepard's plan to help a distraught friend that day, but he didn't mind that much.

"Hey, come on, Liara" Shepard whispered. "Don't blame yourself. You had no way of knowing what Cerberus would do. Hell, I'm still surprised by Cerberus as it is". He remained quiet as Liara kept crying.

What could Shepard tell her? That she hadn't screw up that much? She had time after time, driven solely by blind ambition. She had been detached and cold to Shepard, thus lost him to Tali. She had pushed herself for years, wasting her time as an information broker on Illium instead of spending her time searching for evidence of the Reapers elsewhere. All for one purpose, and one purpose alone: to get to the Shadow Broker. And even then, no matter how driven she was, how much she sacrificed… finding the Shadow Broker had been due to Cerberus' efforts, not Liara's. It had been Cerberus who intercepted transmissions from the Shadow Broker, narrowing the search. Heck, the Illusive Man had probably toyed with Liara all along, giving her bread crumbs so she would waste everything she had worked for against the Shadow Broker. By the end of the hunt, Liara had lost contacts, exposed herself and led Cerberus straight to the most powerful information broker of the galaxy…

Liara was irresponsible all the way through but could Shepard really blame her? She had worked to get Shepard's body, lost Feron to the Shadow Broker and sacrificed a lot more for Shepard. Cerberus might have toyed with her like the naïve grieving maiden she was, but that didn't mean Liara hadn't done what anyone else in her position would have done. Yeah, she had missed the three headed dog, but then again, Liara had been a mere archaeologist for decades prior to meeting him. It was a miracle she had succeeded so far.

"So… how are you planning on repaying Cerberus for what they did?" Shepard wondered. Liara looked at him with confusion. "You are going to let Cerberus do this to you?" He smiled at her. "You ARE the Shadow Broker, after all. You should teach them not to mess up with you".

Liara tilted her head. "B-But… how?" She wondered.

"You might not know where their bases are, but we know where they have a lot of support from, don't we?" Shepard pointed out. "Hit them where it hurts: get information on their mines, factories, whose loyal to them on our colonies… trust me, give Hackett half the opportunity and he will uproot Cerberus from the base upwards".

Liara smiled back at him, impish. "You are right" she nodded. "Thanks for coming by, Shepard – I will make sure Cerberus regrets what they did, to me, to you… to everyone".

"Good" Shepard chuckled. "We wouldn't want to have it any other way".

The two remained there, staring at each other. Shepard was reminded by how pretty those eyes of hers were… like jewels, a prize of their own. Her face was pretty as well. There was a lot of beauty that simply radiated from her skin. Most asari had that on them. Regardless, the effect was evident. It was mesmerizing, and it drew something from the confines of Shepard's spirit. Seconds suddenly became an eternity, as if he was lost in her gaze. How long did they remain there, silently transfixed on the other's eyes? Slowly, as if drawn, their faces slowly approached each other and…

"Shepard, Urdnot Wrex request to speak with you urgently" EDI's voice echoed across the room.

Shepard was immediately broken out of the hypnosis, blinking and stepping back. Liara, blushing, looked away. Had they…? He felt something on his gut clench painfully. God, he couldn't do this! What about Tali? But sadly, he couldn't… for some reason, thinking about Tali… he didn't feel the same as before. He shook his head. That was wrong. He couldn't just ditch her! But Liara…

"I'm going" Shepard softly murmured. Clearing his throat, he repeated in a louder voice "I'm going, EDI". He turned to Liara, his heart starting to race and blood reaching his cheeks. Why did he suddenly feel like this around her?

"Go, we'll talk later, alright?" Liara offered a smile. "Let's hope your robot doesn't do anything indecent until then…"

Shepard raised an eyebrow. Did Liara suspect EDI's motives behind the kiss? She probably had convinced herself about it, by the looks it. He shrugged. As he walked out, he couldn't help feeling a deep sense of loss. The Commander groaned as he entered into the elevator, frustrated. Why couldn't his heart decide on something already?!

* * *

When Shepard walked into the Communications Room, he hadn't expected to find Mordin Solus, Bakara and EDI all standing there. The hologram of Wrex, imperiously standing behind the projector, was the only expected addition to the room.

"Shepard, you bloody pyjack, you did it!" Wrex laughed contently. "Destroyed Reapers, Dead Salarians and a Free Tuchanka, that's what I call one hell of a mission" he cackled. "No offense, pyjack" he added, turning to Mordin.

"None taken. Salarians were between Shepard and his goal. Foolish move from the Union and Council" Mordin took a deep breath. "Unavoidable".

"Good to see you too, Wrex" Shepard sheepishly smiled at the massive holograph Krogan. "I thought you were at the Citadel…"

"You kidding? After you left I got myself a ship to Tuchanka to rescue your sorry hide. It's good you retook my missile silo, because I really didn't want to go to save you" Wrex joked. Shepard sighed, rolling his eyes. He felt quite touched by Wrex's concerns. "No, I'm here to organize these idiots". The Warlord sobered as he carried on describing the situation down on Tuchanka. "These incompetent fools have forgotten how to hold a gun – can't keep one bloody trench".

"So the Reapers are kicking your Krogan arses, huh?" Shepard hummed.

"You can make a Krogan fight, but you can't make him think, apparently" Wrex snorted. "Idiots, the whole lot of them. Now I have to pull back entire battalions. At least now we can have ships on orbit". He took a moment to snort derisively "not that that will help…"

"What did you need to discuss?" Shepard asked, curious. He glanced at Bakara, who was staring at Shepard, and Mordin. "And why are you two here?"

"They are pretty much the topic of discussion" Wrex grumbled. "Tell him, Solus".

"The cure is ready – all we need is to develop the vector with which to distribute it" Mordin declared.

Shepard raised an eyebrow. "Let me guess… you need my help for something" he stated, sighing with resignation.

"It's a bit more complicated than that" Wrex muttered. "We've got a problem, Shepard. Not all Reapers were either destroyer or escaped… one of them managed to make it somewhere… inconvenient – a place that was cut out from targeting solutions for a reason". Shepard raised an eyebrow. "Solus and I had come up with a plan to distribute the cure to all the Krogans. Problem is, there is a Reaper standing right outside of it".

"What do you mean?" Shepard asked.

"There is a Salarian structure, called the Shroud. It basically helps keeping the air clean… a gift from the Salarians after First Contact" Wrex sighed irritably. "Thing is, that Shroud was also used to distribute the Genophage. Solus believes the – what did you call it? Vector? – the vector used for the genophage could be reused for the cure. We didn't want to give the Dalatrass the heads-up by having someone actually go to the Shroud… but now there is a Reaper right next to it, with an army gathering at its feet. Clever bastard".

"It's safe to assume a Thannar Missile is out of the question" Shepard guessed.

"Unless you want to compromise the structural integrity of the Shroud, unthinkable" Mordin shook his head.

"Yeah, not a good idea – those missiles would tear the Shroud apart and, as much as I would have liked to blow it, we need it… intact. If not for the cure, for the air" Wrex grunted. "Rebuilding the Shroud would be impossible, and would take too much time – the Salarans built it, we have no idea how to make a new one".

"Orbital bombardment is out of the question too, then" Shepard sighed. Of course the easy options were off the table. Shepard's luck was still holding, apparently. "Do you have a plan?" He asked wearily.

"Yes, but you are not going to like it" Wrex smirked.

Shepard folded his arms. "Shoot, it can't be worse than your last suicide mission" he muttered.

"Ha, you'll be eating those words soon enough" Wrex laughed.

"The Shroud, it was built in a specific place for… security purposes… also the reason it has been safe for the last thousands of years" Mordin quickly explained.

"Kalros" Bakara interceded, speaking for the first time. "The Mother of all Thresher Maw lives in the area surrounding the Shroud".

"Wow, wow, wow" Shepard raised a hand, already not liking where this was going. "Mother of all Thresher Maws?"

"Ha, told you" Wrex chuckled.

"Massive, Kilometres long, known to have managed to drag a Salarian Cruiser into the sand" Mordin paused to take a deep, noisy breath. "Perfect adversary for this Destroyer Class Reaper. Only opportunity".

"It is also asleep" Bakara stated. "The Reaper presence could undo that, but so far Kalros has remained unseen for centuries".

"She could be dead" Shepard pointed out.

"Negative. Thresher Maws don't die of old age. Hibernation. Most likely" Mordin shook his head.

"So… you want me to wake the Mother of all Thresher Maws and have it attack an actual Reaper to clear a path to the Shroud and get the cure there?" Shepard's eyebrows were high on his forehead. "Did I sound crazy saying that? Because this plan sounds crazy to me".

"That is the gist of it, yes" Wrex nodded without caring about Shepard's comments. "Don't worry. While you take Kalros for a showdown with the Reaper, I'll move my forces and distract the Reaper".

"Distract it?" Shepard squinted at the warlord.

"The means to waking Kalros…" Bakara said. "You will need to move to a platform in front of the Shroud and activate two ancient hammers".

"It is also the place where the Reaper currently stands on" Mordin added.

"Oh, you've got to be kidding me" Shepard grunted. "So you actually want me to sneak under a Reaper?"

"Yeah" Wrex nodded.

Shepard groaned. "I should start charging you – three billion credits per mission" he shook his head, resigned to his fate.

"You pull this off, Shepard, and I will promise every single Krogan on Earth to help you reclaim your home-world" Wrex retorted.

"You will also have the eternal gratitude of all Krogan" Bakara chimed in. "You will probably pass into history as the greatest warrior to walk on our planet".

Shepard swore under his breath. "Wrex, you are going to be the bloody end of me" he growled.

"There is more, Shepard" Bakara said.

"Hmmm?" the Commander turned to the niqab-clad Krogan.

"The path to the Shroud, the one you will take… it is the City of the Ancients… one of the remaining sites that survived the Nuclear War of Tuchanka and the last piece that stands of our history. While Wrex engages with the Reaper and its minions, you will have to traverse the ancient ruins and attempt to find your way to the Shroud" Bakara explained.

"Tell me you have a map of that place" Shepard pleaded.

"The City of the Ancients has stood for centuries for being sacred to us, Shepard. No Krogan has dared defile the site" Bakara replied.

"Not that anyone would have a reason to. That place is filled with Varren, Snarglak and other critters of the dark and there is nothing of value" Wrex shrugged. "Not to mention how much of a maze it is. Who would in their right mind attempt to cross it?"

"Oh joy" Shepard muttered.

"Lighten up, Shepard. You will be the first in centuries to survive the journey across the City of the Ancients" Wrex laughed. "And help cure my people from the Genophage" he added as an afterthought.

"We are confident in your abilities, Shepard" Mordin stated.

Shepard remained quiet. He had long advocated to curing the genophage. However, this was plain ridiculous. Then again, since when had he ever refused doing something of this calibre?

"When are we going to do this?" He wondered.

"Give me a day to gather a strong enough army" Wrex muttered. "We will need to pull back from many fronts – we fail this, Shepard… and we might be losing missile silos, and with them Tuchanka – I'm going to need your ship for that".

"I suppose orbital bombardment" Shepard hummed.

"Now that there aren't Reapers around, the Normandy is free to hit the bastards where it hurts. All we need is to punch a few holes and the Krogans will do what they know what to do best: fight" Wrex chuckled. "In two days, Shepard, my people will finally be free of the genophage, and it is all thanks to you".

"I'll be expecting a statue of myself" Shepard smirked at the warlord.

"Good luck with that" Wrex snorted, amused.

"Seriously though…" Shepard looked at the three people present. "Are the Krogan ready for this?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Wrex growled warningly.

"The Commander is correct, Wrex" Bakara sighed, annoyed. "Our people have lost their way for too long. Many clan leaders will seek vengeance against the Council. Some clans might even split from your Krogan alliance. Do you even have a successor? You are the only thing holding the clans together – that and the support from the females."

Wrex remained wearily silent.

"Wrex, tell me at least you have a plan to deal with insurgents. I can't be fighting this war on a new front if Krogans start to piss off the Council" Shepard sighed. "Heck, give them half a reason and the Salarians will sterilize you for good and with the Turian's blessing".

Wrex gritted his teeth. "Yes, you are right. The alliance between the clans is too fresh to say, and with the current loses some clans are suffering, things will get nasty, and quickly" he muttered. "But don't worry – I have it covered".

"I hope so, because you will not have a second chance at this" Shepard morosely remarked.

"Commander" EDI suddenly said. "We are currently receiving a transmission… the source is unknown".

Shepard raised an eyebrow.

"We'll talk later then, Shepard – Solus, Bakara" Wrex nodded at the Commander, the Salarian and female. "Urdnot Wrex out". And with that his hologram vanished.

"Commander, we'll leave you to your space-talk" Bakara calmly said as she turned around to leave.

"Indeed. Will be at med-bay if need me" Mordin cheerfully stated, following after Bakara.

Shepard raised an eyebrow at the pair, before shaking his head. Why was his life so complicated?

"Patch the link" Shepard ordered.

"Commander"

Oh boy. Shepard internally cringed as none other than Admiral Hackett showed up. He stood his ground, hands behind him, and firm in his position. It didn't help the old man was glaring down at him. If people could shoot laser from their eyes, Hackett might have been a Reaper incarnate with that scathing look.

"Admiral" Shepard greeted.

"What the hell is going on here?" Hackett growled, frustrated, as he folded his arms. "Where exactly did you go to? Why haven't your reported back? And what in God's name is this about you helping Cerberus retake a secret base on Tuchanka of all places?" Shepard raised an eyebrow. That was quick. "You better have a good explanation, Shepard".

"Did something happen at the Citadel? I'm on some business on Tuchanka, but not busting STGs" Shepard tentatively replied.

"I suggest you watch your tone, Shepard. I have the entire Council, the Salarian Dalatrass and a myriad of bureaucratic pains in the arse all shouting in my ears about you – and I need bloody answers" Hackett muttered threateningly. "What mess did you cause this time?"

"I assisted the Krogans liberate Tuchanka from the Reapers. It is still a work in progress" Shepard replied.

"Reapers? On Tuchanka?" Hackett frowned. "Oh, God…" he now looked exasperated, almost ready to strangle someone. "Why wasn't I informed of this?"

"I thought you knew. Thing is sir, the Krogans, they smuggled a particularly powerful breed of missiles that allowed them to repel the invasion" Shepard reported. "I brokered a deal: I helped them get one of their facilities up and running and we got the schematics" he lied.

"Missiles… you aren't joking, are you? The Krogan actually had missiles capable of scratching those monsters?" Hackett's anger was replace entirely by disbelief.

"I didn't believe it myself, sir, but I saw them in action. There are dead Reapers on Tuchanaka now, Sovereign class and all" Shepard smiled at the Admiral.

"You better not be bluffing" Hackett took a deep breath, looking amazed. "I see you been doing some good work. Next time at least leave a note. It is hard to make excuses otherwise". Sobering up, he carried on. "What are the Krogan doing with such missiles?"

"I have no idea, but we both knew Wrex believed me about the Reapers all along. Is that surprising he prepared his home-world against them in this last years?" Shepard queried.

"The fact he managed to build up enough silos to repel a Reaper invasion without anyone being none the wiser… yes, Commander, you probably have the largest can of worms opened in recent history" Hackett nodded gravely. If Hackett only knew about the turian parting gift… "There is no telling what the Krogan might do with that technology, Shepard. I don't want to doubt Wrex, Commander, but it sounds to me someone has been helping the Krogan".

"Yeah, I've got that feeling to" Shepard confessed. "The Krogans aren't masters at subtlety and this is way beyond what I can believe. The question is… who?"

"The answer is obvious, Shepard" Hackett leant forward, his face scrunched as if tasting something foul. "Cerberus".

Shepard's eyes widened. "No way, sir. Why in the world would the Krogan ally themselves with Cerberus?" He spluttered.

"Why the hell not?" Hackett quipped. "The Krogan don't give a damn who gives them weapons or the crimes Cerberus has committed. Hell Commander we both know Krogan commit twice the same crimes as Cerberus on a weekly basis. Both Cerberus and the Krogan hate the Council, they both don't give a damn about galactic laws and they both would rather see the rest of the galaxy burn. No, this is an alliance forged in the pits of hell".

"Sir, if the Krogan are so spiteful to accept aid of Cerberus, then the blame is as much ours as it is theirs" Shepard retorted.

"And I agree… but that doesn't make it right. Desperate people will always be prey of evil" Hackett rebutted. "We can't change what we could have done. I don't think anyone in their right mind wants to see the Krogan siding with Cerberus on anything… and with those armaments you mentioned to say the least".

Shepard slowly nodded, grim. He had suspected that that might have been a possibility. The Thannar Missiles were advanced, almost to a Collector/Reaper level, and guess who was in control of a Collector Base? There were the quarians, but they were unaccounted for, and Shepard hadn't forgotten the convenient anti-aircraft gun Cerberus had so generously installed and left. Still, he couldn't believe that Wrex would backstab him for the Illusive Man…

"What do you suggest then?" Shepard wondered. "We are going to need the Krogan for this war, sir. The only way we are going to get their full support is by offering a sweeter deal than whatever Cerberus has offered them".

"At the moment, the Krogan are out of the equation Commander" Hackett sighed. "I am a bleeding heart for lost causes too, Shepard, but right now the Alliance is at the brink of dissolution. Entire colonies are resisting our attempts of militarization, and no one likes the idea of increased workloads. The Krogan, for all their might, are no longer the threat and power they used to be, and right now, we need financial support – we need the backing of the Council".

Shepard squinted at the Admiral, not liking where this was going. "You can't possibly suggest…"

"Sabotage the Krogans, Shepard – don't help them" Hackett ordered. "This is harsh, I know, but they won't be of much use in retaking Earth, our home-world. We NEED fleets, and that means the aid of the Salarians, Volus and Turians. Find out whatever they are scheming and sabotage it. The Krogan have clearly thrown their lot with Cerberus – they made their choice. Try getting the schematics of those missiles too".

Shepard remained quiet, before nodding. "Understood, sir" he saluted.

"Good. I know this is wrong for me to say, but don't trust Urdnot Wrex. He might have been a good comrade to you, but in the end, he isn't human and he doesn't care about Earth or our people as much as he does his. It isn't wrong, but it clearly makes us incompatible allies" Hackett sighed, wearily. "After this war is over… then we will talk about reparations and assisting the Krogan. You have my word".

"Yes, sir" Shepard nodded again.

"Right, keep me posted, Shepard – by the way, the Council has set an emergency com buoy on the Krogan DMZ. I guess we now know who destroyed the original one. I'll forward connection data. Only military grade channels will go through, understood?" Hackett told the Commander.

"Yes" Shepard nodded.

"Good, keep up the good work Shepard. We are counting on you" Hackett said, as Shepard saluted. "Hackett out".

The Commander despondently leaned against the communicator, with a heavy heart. He stared at the empty space where Hackett had stood. His gut wrenched painfully as he went over the situation he was stuck in. On the one hand, there were the Krogan, who most probably had sold themselves to Cerberus in exchange of weapons and military investment. Wrex had lied to Shepard and even used the Commander… on the other hand, Hackett was ordering him to sabotage the Krogan, and rightfully so. Shepard didn't have any loyalty to the Krogan. Wrex had betrayed him, keeping information to himself, information the Alliance desperately needed, and was secretly in cahoots with the Illusive Man. Helping the Krogan further would bite Shepard in the arse sooner or later in the form of Cerberus – a Krogan-boosted Cerberus at that.

Yet… could Shepard bring himself to condemn an entire species like that? Yes, Wrex had kept vital information to himself, but what species hadn't? The Turians had their dirty bomb on Tuchanka and the Alliance had many skeletons in their massive closet. Who else could Wrex turn to when he needed to arm Tuchanka for the Reapers? The Council?

Shepard punched the wall, gritting his teeth. Choices. It all came down to choosing, picking a side… He shook his head. Screw it. Turning around he walked out of the War Room. He ignored the two rookies at the security checkpoint, cleaning their rifles, and Samantha Traynor, who was busy chatting with their resident journalist. He took the elevator, trying to fight the choices he was meant to pick.

It was with a heavy heart that he walked out of the lift and onto his cabin. EDI, or at least her body, was waiting. She tilted her head, not smiling.

"Is there anything you wish to discuss, Commander?" She asked.

The Commander went over to the bathroom, needing to splash his face with cold water. It didn't have the effect he wished. If anything, as he looked up to his reflection, he saw the same angry, scarred face glaring back at him as that morning, if only riddled with confusion and exhasperation.

The future of a species was on his shoulders. There was a new suicide mission fast approaching. The Galaxy was burning. He gritted his teeth, ignoring the ghastly glower of his cybernetic scars. And to top it off… he didn't have Tali there to help him through. This was like nothing he had ever been through, and it was starting to crush him.

A hand on his shoulder startled him. His body tensed and stiffened as he snapped his head towards the intruder. Shepard's eyes widened as he saw EDI, looking concerned, behind him. At that moment, it was impossible to think of her as anything other than a living being. There was such emotion on her expression and face… it was hard to tell it was an android.

Without saying a word, she stepped forward and, very slowly, cupped his head between her hands. They gently swept across the rough surface of Shepard's skin. Her blue eyes studied him, jumping from scar to scar, only to end up leaning on Shepard's dark eyes. The Commander, at the same time, stared at her face.

Her touch was lifeless, yet warm. Her gaze was empty, yet reassuring. Her presence was non-existent… and yet Shepard couldn't ignore it. Tentatively, she leaned over and moved her head close to his. Instead of their lips touching, EDI paused.

"I am about to proceed with a kiss, Commander" she declared.

Shepard found himself grinning at EDI's interpretation of a "heads-up". Without putting much thought into it, he didn't hesitate. He leaned forward and kissed her. EDI didn't resist, but rather embraced the man and kissed back. Shepard could have sworn he felt her smirk as they kissed, as her hands swept over his back and while his explored her body.

At the moment, all thought of traitorous allies and mothers of Thresher Maws departed Shepard's mind…

* * *

 **Author Note: Soon I'll publish the last chapter of "Mass Effect 3: A Different War Part I". I am not sure when I'll start uploading "A Different War Part II" since it isn't finished.**

 **I hope you've liked the story thus far. Please, let me know your thoughts.**


	12. Chapter 12: Decisions and Resolutions

**Chapter XII: Decisions and resolutions**

The City of the Ancients… that was not a place Shepard had expected to be in. His team too seemed awfully quiet as they traversed the creepy place. Dark, looking more of a crypt than anything… one had to wonder who had designed the place so that no light would reach the centre. Or, since they were discussing that, who in their right mind builds one maze of a place like this? Thankfully, moving across the place wasn't impossible thanks to their omni-tools.

"Shepard… when are you going to take me to somewhere sunny and humid?" Garrus' voice echoed across the old passageways.

Shepard glanced over his assault rifle, raised to shoot any stray critter in their path. The turian next to him, his face hidden behind his helmet, took a glimpse of him, they eyes meeting momentarily.

"Someday, Garrus… someday" Shepard whispered.

"You still owe us those drinks" James added.

The Commander rolled his eyes, turning his rifle to light the wall to his left. There, he saw a large ancient painting of… something… on the wall.

"Is that Kalros?" Garrus asked.

"Maybe" Shepard mumbled before turning to James. "I'll get you beers when we go back to the Citadel, not before".

"Since we are at it, Loco, how about Tequila?" James chuckled.

"Over my dead body, Lieutenant" Shepard retorted.

The dark passageway suddenly shook.

"It would seem that the Krogan have engaged with the Reapers" Liara commented.

"They are a bit early to the action" Garrus remarked. "Then again, if we are feeling it this early on, the Reapers might not have given them much of a choice".

The team remained eerily quiet as they carried on. Shepard scanned the way forward, following his compass. Once again, they had yet to find Varren or animals. It didn't bode well. For some reason, the presence of Reapers clearly scared the local fauna. Could the Reapers have developed some signal to scare the fauna? It would make sense. It would give the Reapers an advantage on hostile places… like Tuchanka.

Another explosion shook the ruins and clouds of dust rained on them. A layer of hazel dirt fell on them, making the path ahead look like a hazy mist. They were thankful that they had their helmets on, or else they would be having a coughing fit. Shepard looked upwards, wondering if the Krogan were already using their artillery.

"Hey, Loco, after we are done here on Tuchanka, where are we going next?" James wondered as they entered yet another dark corridor.

"I don't know… it will depend on the Reapers… and Cerberus, I suppose" Shepard replied.

"Probably Cerberus" Liara commented with a hint of smugness. "I've heard the Alliance have launched a rather successful series of raids against them".

"Yeah, finally hitting the bastards in the balls for once" James chuckled, amused. "I hope the guys leave something for us. I want some piece of Cerberus myself, y'know?"

"Be careful what you ask for" Shepard warned, with a smile.

"Perhaps we could attempt to see the situation at the Terminus systems" Liara offered. "Perhaps we could even attempt to assist Aria T'lok recapture Omega".

"Wait, what?" Shepard asked, shocked.

"Aria lost… Omega?" Nyreen, gasping, inquired.

"You didn't know?" Liara stopped her march to study her disbelieving friends. "She has been at the Citadel for some time now, keeping a low profile. Apparently, Cerberus has taken control of the station".

"Why am I only hearing about this now?" Shepard hummed, displeased.

"I had expected the Council to inform you" Liara remarked "or at least the Alliance. In any case, Cerberus has become the official ruler of what remains of the Terminus Systems – with Omega under their control, they have a massive flow of resources, particularly element zero".

"Once we kicked this Reaper's butt we will kick theirs" James declared.

"It's hard to imagine Aria outside of Omega" a happily amused Garrus commented.

"Ha, you should have told me earlier. I might have gone to take a picture" Shepard laughed.

"That would make two of us" Garrus added.

"Do you think I should go and arrest her?" Shepard wondered.

"Helping her would greatly assist our war efforts" Liara shook her head. "Arresting her would be a waste of opportunities. You should speak with her once we return to the Citadel".

The tunnel shook yet again. This time, though, it was louder than before.

"Damn, those Krogans are having fun out there" James commented. "How long until we get somewhere? We've been walking through tunnels like – I don't know - for ages, man!"

"Patience" Shepard told the Lieutenant. "Enjoy the quiet while it lasts. I make no promises what we will find once we leave this maze…"

"Expecting anything interesting, Shepard?" Liara asked, concerned.

"Well, the Reapers have been some time now on Tuchanka. I suppose we'll see what Krogan Husks might look like soon enough" the Commander stated.

The team remained awfully quiet at that. Shepard couldn't blame them. The normal Husks was a tedious thing to kill already, with hardened bodies and dexterity. A Krogan one, with regeneration and who knows what else would be a nightmare. Suddenly liberating Tuchanka of Reapers was an excellent, yet harder to achieve, idea in their minds.

Explosions shook the City of the Ancients yet again. Shepard had to frown, concerned, by the fact that it appeared that the Krogan were still fighting and a bit earlier than planned. That meant that the Reaper forces were fully invested in stopping the Krogan tomkahs – the Krogan version of mobile tanks.

"Hey, I see light!" James exclaimed ecstatic.

"Wait, do you hear that?" Garrus asked.

The group stopped walking, arms ready. There, amidst the silence and explosions, they could heard something. Was it… clicking?

"Take cover!" Shepard cried out, opening fire to the way ahead, a flight of stairs of some sort. From there, a large hulking silhouette had appeared. That same thing shot small bursts of energy that exploded loudly – like tiny torpedoes. "Open fire!"

The thing was well-armoured, but it couldn't hope to withstand the combined might of five guns on it. With that dead, the team hurried over to the light, and the staircase out of the dark tunnels. When they reached the fallen enemy, they were rather shocked at what they found.

"Madre Santa, what is that thing?" James gasped.

Shepard was equally shocked. On the floor, at their feet, was a Reaper husk of some species that eluded the Commander. Insectoid in nature, it looked nightmarish and wrong. The cybernetic implants were clearly Reaper in origin, but the original organic lifeform… it was familiar, but where had Shepard seen it…?

"Rachni?" Garrus said, perplexed. "Shepard, is this a Rachni Husk?"

"It would seem so" Shepard nodded. Yes, that was it. It appeared like a heavily modified Rachni soldier, however. Two long protruding cannons had clearly been the source of the tiny torpedoes that had nearly blown them to tatters. "But it is quite different from the ones we faced".

"Reaper Rachni…" James shook his head. "Does this crazy stuff only happen around you, Shepard?"

"Not now, Lieutenant" Shepard gritted his teeth. "They know we are here".

They hurried up the stairs and, just like predicted, the Reaper minions were onto them. They didn't really get much of an opportunity to take in the scenery, as human and batarian husks charged to their position as Marauders and Cannibals (gun-happy turian husks and the designation for the shooting-batarian husks respectively) opened fire at them. All around them, scattered behind fallen pillars, tall boulders and such, were the ruins of a once mighty empire. The fact there were more of those Rachni Husks with those cannons didn't help either.

Ancient rusty-yellow tiled, broken here and there, were covered with enough cover for the team – and the Reapers. The design was strange, with small terraces that might have been fountains at some point, now only serving as bullet-sponges. Oddly enough, tall walls made of the same yellow rock stood high behind them, casting a long shadow on battle.

Shepard got three of the human Husks on the head as Garrus, taking cover next to him, managed to kill one of the Marauders. Both human and Turian had to duck onto the ground as the Rachni creatures fired. It was like fighting a moving turret, and those Rachni were really an annoyance.

"Having fun, James?!" Shepard shouted at the Lieutenant. The large man was desperately gunning down the charging husks as they promised to lung at him. Liara, next to him, was more entertained by a Cannibal further away, sending it flying.

"Yes!" James cried out as he took cover. And just in time too as the Rachni concentrated on him.

"Those things are like artillery pieces!" Nyreen yelled.

Shepard took down one of them, only to be replaced by another. "Yeah, and they are too damn resilient" he replied.

The team thus held their position. More Reapers rushed into their position from all sides. Thankfully, their numbers run out quickly enough. Before long, the five figures were surrounding entirely by immobile corpses. Shepard calmly walked forward, rifle lowered, to get a better view of their surrounding area. The rest all panted and tried to catch their breath, including a weary Garrus.

"Shepard, where are you?!" Wrex's roared on Shepard's ears, making him wince.

"I'm right outside the City of the Ancients! I've just left the tunnels" Shepard replied, still feeling a ringing in his head.

"What? That was quick" Wrex muttered. "We are being delayed, Shepard! There are freaking Rachni here… stupid artillery Reapers!"

"Yes, we met with those ravagers already" Shepard replied.

"You will have to hold position until we – WREAV, GET THAT BLOODY PRAETORIAN!" Wrex roared on his end. "Find somewhere to hold your ground and wait for us to push forward. Wrex out!"

Shepard shook his head just as he heard the screeching and moaning. More Reapers. He raised his rifle, noticing movement dead ahead, only to lower his weapon, wide-eyed. Accompanying a dozen charging batarian husks, all of which were spriting at him like rabid dogs, were two hulking monsters…

"Krogan Husks!" Shepard yelled, falling back to his team.

The tired group returned to cover. The Krogan Husks, those brutes, were a lot more different than Shepard had expected. For starters, their arms had been replaced by armoured blades – humongous claws that could cut through thick armour. If that wasn't enough, on their massive backs, two cannons similar to those of the now dubbed Ravagers, were aimed at him. These were more than just mobile artillery – those Brutes were freaking tanks of their own breed.

To say Brutes took the group by surprise might have been an understatement. Those things scared the living lights of anyone who was under their glowing blue gazes. Shepard, however, was undeterred, gunning the batarian husks first, before trying to blow off the heads of the Brutes. Sadly, it seemed the Reapers had armed these soldiers with strong armour.

The two beasts managed to get close enough to lung at Shepard at great speed. The Commander rolled forward, being missed by the giant claw by a mere inch, before jumping onto the Brute's back and, with his omni-tool, stabbed at the creature's neck. The second Brute had the bright idea of shooting at Shepard while he disposed of its comrade. The Commander barely managed to avoid getting blown to smithereens as he noticed what the remaining Brute was attempting to do.

"Over here, motherfucker!" James yelled, drawing the Brute's attention.

Shepard took the opportunity to crouch his way to the Brute's flank as the thing opened fire on the Lieutenant. Shepard rushed out of cover and towards the Brute, hoping to repeat the previous execution. He had to dive to a side as the Brute, without even glancing his way, turned back and smashed one giant set of claws where Shepard had been milliseconds prior.

The Brute roared in pain as Shepard's comrades opened fire on the beast's exposed back. It did manage to turn back towards them, only to drop dead at the onslaught of bullets.

"Jesus Christ" James swore. "So these are Krogan Husks…"

"By the Goddess…" Liara wheezed, panting. "I- I can't imagine what an army of these would be like in Thessia…"

"Or Palaven" Garrus and Nyreen chorused, staring at the fallen Brutes.

"At least on Earth they were the easier kind" James mumbled, removing his helmet as he was sweating heavily. He noticed Shepard kneeling next to one of the Rachni husks. "You alright, Loco?"

"Yes, yes" Shepard nodded, staring at the dead thing in front of him. "You know what this means, don't you Garrus?"

"The Reapers captured the Rachni Queen" Garrus nodded. "They might be breading a whole legion of them…"

"Brutes and Ravagers… those two combined are disastrous" Shepard admitted. "No ground force could hope to hold them back".

"We'll need to develop armour piercing rounds" Garrus pointed out. "Something that can cut into these bastards armours" he added, kicking a nearby Brute.

Shepard had to agree with his turian friend. Odds were that they would find more Brutes or similar in the future.

"There, in the sky!" Nyreen cried out as a massive bug flew towards them.

"Shit, Praetorian – take cover!" Shepard ordered.

* * *

Scions were a particularly annoying type of Human Husk that Shepard despised. Armed with a massive cannon on one arm, they shot biotic balls at their enemies, sometimes unleashing shockwaves or just lifting their target. Seeing them again on the field had left Shepard a bit annoyed. It was obvious, after the Praetorian, that the Reapers had decided to make use of the same husks the Collectors had developed with kidnapped colonists.

The team managed to make it across the tall ruins, getting a chance to marvel ever so often in the rare green plants growing on Tuchanka, safely hidden behind the walls of the City of the Ancients, at least that part of it. Sadly, the Reapers just wouldn't let them alone. Wave after wave of Husks, Ravagers, Cannibals, Marauders and even Brutes went their way, trying to stop the squad, in vain.

It seemed they had finally killed the last of the Reaper forces as the winded up team of misfits crossed an old bridge. Liara was the chirpiest of the lot while the rest were far more morose. She snapped her head to her surroundings, allowing her sapphire eyes to take everything in about it. She was clearly having a field day at old ruins.

"I wish I had come at some point in the past to study these" Liara wistfully said. "Look at the architecture and art… I can't believe this is the work of Krogan hands".

Shepard stalled to move over a railing and stare at the small stream of dirty water below and the grown gigantic ivy-like plants. Knowing Tuchanka, those plants were probably poisonous… with acid dripping from them… and could move like the Thorian. Shepard was not about to underestimate the blasted planet's flora – its fauna was bad enough on its own.

Liara activated her omni-tool to take pictures as Garrus and Nyreen, standing side by side, allowed themselves to relax in the breath-taking scenery. It was hard to believe they had been fighting Reaper forces only moments earlier – or that a Reaper was waiting for them ahead.

"It is hard to imagine" Garrus snorted. "Krogans building structures… I suppose they were not always the brutes we see them as."

"Hey, they did manage to advance technologically to a point they developed nuclear weapons" Shepard chuckled. "Give them credit where it is due".

"These were Krogans from a time long before their nuclear winter" Nyreen shook her head, impassive. "A breed of Krogan long lost by time and decadence. Krogans will never regain their lost glory".

"Not with the Genophage or cultural suicide" Shepard shrugged. "We humans know about cultural suicide alright. We nearly lost our entire society under the weight of our own stupidity almost two hundred years ago, and hey, we recovered".

"You humans are weird" Garrus remarked. "You don't count – for every rule the Galaxy sets there must be a human to break it".

"Amen" James and Shepard laughed in unison.

"Weirdoes" Garrus grumbled.

"Come on, there is a Reaper waiting for us" Shepard told them.

"Let's take our time, shall we?" Liara proposed nervously. "I'm in no hurry to engage against a Reaper on foot".

"I second that" Garrus chimed in.

Shepard rolled his eyes as he led the team across the bridge. They were almost there when the world shook. They all froze dead on their feet, confused. That hadn't been an explosion… again, the world shook… and kept shaking. Shepard suddenly had the feeling this was not your typical earthquake either.

"Hurry, to the other side!" Shepard ordered.

The team didn't stall. They rushed out of the bridge, and just in time, as something rose from the pit below the bridge, and destroyed it. Five pair of eyes stared at where they had been sightseeing peacefully. The world trembled as taller spike rose high into the air, cutting higher and higher before lowering. It was, to a degree, similar to watching a train pass by… a dangerous, monstrous Reaper-killing train of epic proportions.

"…was that…?" Liara stammered, terrified.

"Kalros" Shepard whispered, shocked.

"Jesus, what was that? A side? A leg?" James exclaimed. "Just how big is this Kalros?"

"Well, she is the Mother of all Thresher Maws" Garrus pointed out, sounding rather scared. "I don't think Krogan hand over that title to just any Thresher Maw…"

"I should have stayed on Omega" Nyreen mumbled, afraid.

Shepard stood up. "Too late for that, Nyreen" he said, turning to his comrades. "I guess she is awake". The ruins shook again, almost as in reply. "Come on, we need to guide that thing to a Reaper".

The team was on the move soon enough, traversing the ruins of what had once been a great and thriving civilization. Tall statues of Krogan started appearing. Solemn and proud, they were truly remnants of a time long past. Soon, the world around them became wider and more open, no longer enclosed behind tall walls and allowing everyone to see two disturbing things: the wasteland beyond and a massive Reaper standing next to tall white structure only three hundred meters of ruins between them. They stood still, suddenly shocked, as the Reaper – facing them directly – focused its attention on them.

Shepard had never seen a Destroyer class Reaper before, but it was clear it was nothing like Sovereign. 160 metres tall, it was still humongous and dangerous from where it stood. The massive red eye wasn't any comfort either. Standing on four massive feet, there was no doubt in Shepard's mind that it could reach them in a couple of steps if need be… that and that he was seeing them rather well from that far.

Surprisingly enough, the Reaper remained where it stood, merely staring at them. There was a straight path ahead, filled with pillars and statues, as well as staircases that led to tall platforms to each side. Bridges connected the platforms, although some had fallen. A lot of rubble and boulders filled the hundreds of metres to the Shroud, in front of which stood the Reaper, jealously protecting the entrance.

Shepard frowned as his omni-tool activated. Someone wanted to open a channel with him. Hopefully, it would be Wrex. Keeping an eye on the staring Reaper (that was a first) Shepard typed on his omni-tool, hoping it was something important.

"Shepard"

Shepard's eyes widened. The voice, deep and resonating across Shepard's very soul, echoed out of his omni-tool. His heart started racing. _No way…_ he thought. He looked down at his omni-tool and then to the Reaper.

"I assume this is the Reaper speaking" Shepard replied softly, his heart beating furiously against his chest, like a maddened drummer. He gulped, starting to sweat.

"This is Akriel" the 'small' Reaper declared, with a tone that demanded respect.

Shepard tried to calm himself. Just great, this was just his luck! Talking to an actual Reaper… oh boy... He glanced at his friends, who stared at him, shocked. "Do you… know about me?" He asked, unsure.

"Harbinger speaks of you – you are the organic being, the human, who opposes us. You are the retardant of our inevitable victory over your cycle" Akriel replied with its intimidating voice. "You have earned our attention… Shepard".

"I'm terribly flattered" Shepard snorted, mustering his courage.

"Your sarcasm is irrelevant" Akriel retorted, impassively.

"What do you want? Why are you doing this?" Shepard asked.

"Our actions are beyond your comprehension. Our thoughts are above your understanding. Our objective, a goal that reaches higher than your very existence" Akriel replied, almost tauntingly. "In our presence, you are a grain of sand caught in the winds of a greater stream". He paused. "And yet, we recognized you – Shepard. You stand where few others have. You achieved what few other did. You are an enigma, a glitch… an irrelevant one, but an interesting abnormality of this cycle – one that has caught the attention of us".

"If you aren't going to answer any of my question at least tell me why you are talking to me" Shepard demanded to know.

"To offer you what you desire. Our harvest will take centuries, enough time to allow you to live your fickle existence. We know of your greatest desire, Shepard. We know about what you want the most" Akriel declared. "We will give it to you, and grant you the opportunity for your personality to be Ascended". Shepard's eyes widened. "We offer you… immortality and to stand next to the Reapers, Shepard, as one of us".

"That's not my greatest desire" Shepard spluttered, finding himself almost unable to answer. He hadn't expected a Reaper to actually try to negotiate with him.

"No, your greatest desire is to spend your short life in the presence of your mate, the quarian being known as Tali'Zorah nar Rayya vas Normandy" Akriel said and Shepard felt his heart skip a bit. Why did this bastards know that? For a brief moment, Shepard panicked. "We are willing to grant you and your mate the opportunity to live through the cycle on Rannoch – and when your body withers… to be Ascended and stand as part of something greater than the existence of a mere species".

Shepard felt the world freeze around him. Was this Reaper offering… no, it just… to spend his life peacefully next to Tali, together and alone on Rannoch, and being granted the opportunity to live afterwards like god-like entities? Jesus Christ! These Reapers were really desperate or something, weren't they? Or were they merely toying with Shepard?

"Ha, you'll need to try better than that" Shepard chuckled, smirking. "Sorry, won't do, Akriel".

Akriel remained quiet, staring Shepard from a distance.

"Then so be it" Akriel roared, aiming its giant eye at them and firing a powerful red energy beam.

Shepard gritted his teeth as he was sent flying, covered in dust. He looked up, at Akriel, as the giant Reaper prepared to shoot again. Shepard stood up and rushed to cover just as the place he had been standing on exploded under a fury of red energy. The Commander remained hidden, worried. From his position, he was unable to see the others.

"Your efforts are futile" Akriel's voice resonated across the ruins.

The world shook and, this time, Shepard got the feeling Akriel was moving. The Commander gulped.

"Submit, Shepard" the Reaper said, giving another step. Shepard took a peek from over the boulder he was hiding on, only to notice Akriel was actually standing over him.

"Never!" Shepard yelled, diving forward and rolling, avoiding yet another explosive red explosion. The Commander activated his omni-tool and vanished under his cloaking device.

"You are fighting entities more powerful than you could ever imagine" Akriel said, shooting straight at Shepard. The Commander dived to a side just in time, his cloak faltering. There was no point of it, apparently. Shepard started running between the Reaper's legs and towards the Shroud. "Take the offer while we are find your attempts an abnormality and before they are deemed an annoyance".

Shepard dodged another beam, running like he had never before. His body felt like it was on fire, jumping over boulders and rubble like no other human could. His speed increased and he found himself surprised by the way he seemed to be able to approach the Shroud so quickly… until a massive shadow moved back over the Shroud's entrance, glaring down on him. Shepard panted, starting to feel his skin burning.

The Commander's eyes widened as a leg from Akriel rose high in the air, moving like he was as big as a spider, and coming down on Shepard so quickly, that it might have been a lightning. The Reaper looked down at the cloud of dust, shooting furious beams of energy. Shepard was nowhere to be found.

TONG.

The Reaper looked to his left, at a massive structure that was rising and dropping, an archaic artefact of a time where the Krogan were less primitive. It was a hammer of old, a device probably used for some primitive ritual.

TONG.

There, on a primitive console, glaring straight back at Akriel, was Shepard. The Reaper didn't hesitate, destroying the offending hammer and trying to annihilate the pesky human. However, Shepard was using the cloud of dirt and dust to his advantage, hiding his position. The Reaper's eyes narrowed, and he stomped with his right leg the path right in front of the second artefact.

Where was he? Where was Shepard?

TONG.

The red eyed widened and narrowed, adjusting, before snapping at the second hammer – destroying it in a flash of red anger.

Where was he? Where was Shepard?

The dust settled and no sign of Shepard remained. The Reaper roared as its prey escaped – urging his minions to find him and capture him if possible. That was when Akriel felt it. He sensed the tremors, the one he had felt before. They were large, as if a larger brethren was beneath him. Akriel studied his surroundings. What could cause such a thing? Nothing was supposed to cause such tremors on this location, if the gathered data from the extra-net and from the Salarians was anything to go by, or any other source at that…

Commander Shepard stared, in awe, as Kalros erupted from the ground like a fierce monster of old. Summoned to defend her home, the fierce mother latched on the Reaper's behind and, with a lot of efforts as Akriel resisted, dragged it down with her. The Reaper screeched, a defiant cry that cut through Tuchanka like agonizing metal and, if Shepard wasn't make it up, reluctance to concede his defeat. However, Shepard was surprised when Akriel managed to hold himself in his position.

Shepard's eyes widened as from the skies he saw a flash of blue and a ship soar down. It was the Normandy. The Commander smirked, knowing Joker was here to deliver the final blow to the Reaper. His heart skipped a beat as the Reaper fired on the incoming predator, only to miss as the Normandy did a roll to a side. The Normandy shot its righteous blue lightning of pure Thanix power and Akriel was pushed back and straight in the curling, crashing body of a still grabbing Kalros.

The Mother of all Thresher Maws pulled her victim with glee onto the wasteland sand and rolled around it, pressing itself and destroying Akriel, burying the so-called god… into a world of a time long past.

The Commander grinned, elated. It was done! They had taken down a Reaper! He laughed, unable to contain himself.

"Wrex, we did it!" He yelled. "The Reaper is dead!"

"I'm a little busy here Shepard!" Wrex roared. "We'll talk later after – Hrann, you fool, shoot that thing! – after I deal with this nuisance!"

"Shepard!" Joker's voice interrupted the conversation. "The Salarian First Fleet is here! They broke out of FTL. They – hey, hold on, I'm on this -"

"Shepard, we need to release the cure immediately. Salarians will attempt to stop us. I'll be there right away" Mordin's voice interceded.

"You do that, Shepard – I'll try to… YOU LITTLE FREAK! I AM URDNOT WREX AND THIS IS MY FREAKING PLANET, WHHHARGH!" Shepard winced as he heard Wrex roared loudly just before he disconnected. Someone was having fun today.

"What the hell? A cure?" Joker asked.

Shepard stood there, confused, as the Normandy hovered over his position.

"What were you saying?" Shepard asked, worried.

"Oh, it's the Salarians. They want you to stop - Council orders" Joker said. "Do you want me to hang on them?"

The Commander smiled. "You do that" he chuckled. He looked at the metres he had run, where he had stood and actually spoken to a Reaper… where his comrades alright? Had they survived the first energy beam? "Joker out" the pilot said, startling Shepard for a moment.

Once again, Shepard found himself looking down at his beeping omni-tool as someone else was trying to contact him. _This time_ , he morosely thought, _I hope it isn't a Reaper_. He opened the link and he immediately regretted what he had just said. There, on a screen attached to his arm device, was the face of the Dalatrass herself. Now he didn't mind chatting with a second Reaper.

"Commander, we meet again" Linron greeted in the snappy all-business tone of Salarians. "I know what you are going to do. You need to stop".

"What do you mean?" Shepard tried.

"There is no time to fool around, Commander. I know you wish to spread a strain of a genophage cure throughout Tuchanka using the Shroud. Rethink your stance on this! Please! I promise you the full support of my fleets and scientists" the Dalatrass almost begged.

Shepard raised an eyebrow, before realizing he still had his helmet on. "Hey, Hackett ordered me to sabotage the Krogan where I could. The Krogan have allied themselves with Cerberus, becoming enemies of the Alliance. You shouldn't worry" Shepard calmly told the Dalatrass.

"Oh…" she replied, surprise, before smile creepily. "Will you take care of Doctor Solus, then?"

Shepard looked up at his ship as the hangar bay opened and off flew the shuttle.

"I'll deal with this personally" Shepard reassured the Dalatrass.

"Good" Dalatrass Linron smugly said.

The Commander hurried over to where the shuttle was landing. The side door opened and off came a panicky Mordin. The two simply nodded at each other. On the back of the shuttle was, much to Shepard's surprise, a fully armoured Samantha Traynor, wielding an assault rifle, the two privates that were always by the War Room's security point and Doctor Michele, all wearing Alliance armours.

"Look for survivors over there!" Shepard ordered. "It's good to see you, Traynor".

"I guess I'm starting to like the military life" the Communications' specialist replied uneasily.

"Welcome to the marines" Shepard chuckled. "Now go!" The shuttle lifted off and Shepard turned to a worried-looking Mordin. "Come on" he told the doctor, the both hurrying into the Shroud.

"We don't have much time. Salarians sabotaged Shroud long ago – or at least expect sabotage… nothing surprising or that I can't fix" Mordin declared.

The pair trotted into a large area that was rather… alien to Shepard. It looked nothing like Tuchanka and had more of a Sur'Kesh vibe to it… oh, right, it was a Salarian construction. The pair went across an open central chamber and headed to an elevator. Mordin's pace suddenly increased, surprising the tired Shepard whose body was a bit heavier than usual.

"One thing left to deal with" Mordin said, standing still.

Shepard, who stood behind him, tilted his head with confusion. The doctor turned around, facing the Commander stoically. There were five metres between them…

"I know you wish to betray us, Shepard" Mordin stated, all too sure about it.

Shepard frowned, before his eyes widened. "You bugged the com room" he grunted. He should have seen it coming.

"Indeed, standard procedure. Nothing personal" Mordin replied. He raised his Carnifex gun, impassive eyes on Shepard. The Commander stepped back, shocked. "Also predictable. We knew Alliance desperate for aid. Krogan not a viable option. No fleets, small force, near extinction. Not an option. Salarian Union, better option".

"Mordin…" Shepard warned.

"Don't make me do this" Mordin pleaded, showing his doubts.

"You sold out to Cerberus and you are saying I betrayed you? Besides, you are…" Shepard sighed, trying to step back before the Salarian snapped his gun straight towards his head. He looked serious.

"Please, Shepard… don't. Alliance with Cerberus best option – only option…" Mordin interrupted.

"How can Cerberus be the only option?" Shepard frowned, gritting his teeth exasperatedly. "Mordin, I -" his eyes widened as he saw the red light. Out of instinct, he lunched forward. Mordin fired, but Shepard was able to tackle the doctor. Just as the salarian scientist shot his gun, the echoes of a sniper rifle resounded in the open chamber.

Both Mordin and Shepard rolled on the ground, with the commander standing to his feet and drawing his handgun in a swift motion. In an instant, he saw a surprised black-clad Salarian on a roof nearby and shot him with deadly precision. He then winced, in pain, as he saw the large wound on his right arm, vibrant red liquid oozing from it.

"Shepard…" Mordin slowly stood up, surprised by the turn of events.

"Come on" Shepard shoved the Salarian scientist into the nearby elevator. "There is a cure to deliver" Shepard groaned through his teeth. The bullet bloody hurt!

Mordin pressed the elevator controls and the door swished closed. Right afterwards, the two present felt the lurch as the lift started rising towards their destination.

"Damn it" Shepard swore, glaring at his wound. Mordin was staring at him. "You didn't actually think I was going to sabotage the cure, did you?"

Mordin blinked at him, unresponsive. The Commander, infurated, grabbed both sides of his helmet, dropping his handgun, and threw it to a side, exposing his sweating face.

"Oh, you son of a bitch" Shepard grunted. "I freaking talked your head off last time we were on Tuchanka about curing the Krogan. Why the hell did you think I would try to sabotage the cure?"

"Sorry, Commander, I thought…" Mordin blinked against, unable to process the turn of events. "No, but that is… this changes everything".

Shepard frowned. "What? Oh, never mind" he muttered, glaring the blood seeping out of his arm.

"Let me check" Mordin insisted, scanning Shepard. The Commander raised an eyebrow at him as he noticed the doctor's omni-tool sweeping from head to toe.

"Ehm… doc, my wound is here" Shepard pointed at the gaping hole on his arm.

"Yes, but thorough scan better. Interested in implants as well" Mordin smiled at him.

"Urgh… I forgot you were a mad scientist" Shepard sighed. He looked up. "This elevator is taking its time".

"I lowered speed. Don't wish to risk damaging internal mechanisms. This is an old facility, after all" Mordin replied. "Not need to worry about Salarians. You killed a scout – probably supervising Krogan movements. Others nearby – not close enough to stop us. Suspect Krogan forces will overwhelm this position".

"Say, doc, why are YOU doing this?" Shepard frowned. "What changed your mind?"

Mordin closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. He then opened his eyes, no longer filled with certainty, replaced instead by fear and confusion. "I am reaching the end of my life, Shepard. I wished to atone… you were right… I made a mistake – I had to fix it. It had to be me".

Shepard smirked. "Someone else might have gotten it wrong?" He chuckled as Mordin applied medi-gel over the wound.

"Precisely" Mordin nodded, smiling. "I apologize for shooting you. I actually believed you would attempt to stop me". Shepard grunted, glaring at the salarian. "What changed your mind?"

"It was never changed to begin with" Shepard sighed, exhausted. With the adrenaline dying down, he was starting to feel… sluggish.

"Admiral Hackett, the Council and the Dalatrass… they all told you to attempt to sabotage my efforts here. The Dalatrass willing to offer support – give you ships. Better deal than Krogans" Mordin replied. "Wrex feared that you would put Earth interests over Tuchanka's. So did I. It was expected". He looked apologetically at the Commander.

"You were wrong. You should have known by now that I am not that predictable" Shepard forced a smile. "I'm doing this because it is the right thing, Mordin. Yeah, Wrex lied to me about allying with Cerberus… but I can't condemn the entire Krogans for that decision. Yeah, Hackett ordered me to sabotage you and the Dalatrass even promised me fleets… but you know what? The Alliance and the Council will give their all either way on this war, or we will be defeated regardless. If they can't undo some petty grudge to defeat the Reapers, then they don't deserve my loyalty regardless".

Mordin smiled. "It's good to know you are still you, Shepard" he said.

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?" The Commander exclaimed, offended. Damn, why did he feel so tired?

The elevator stopped and the door opened, revealing a large control centre. Mordin walked over to the main panel and started typing on it.

"I thought war, loss of Earth, would change you. War does that" Mordin replied.

"Hey, Mordin, don't you fear that the Dalatrass will blow the Shroud? She kind of has an entire fleet in orbit" Shepard wondered.

"No, she now believes you are attempting to sabotage me. She won't know the cure will be dissipated until it is too late" Mordin said confidently. "Probably will think you achieved your goal and faux cure will spread instead".

"I hope you are right" Shepard sighed, folding his arms. He walked over to the large window in front. "Damn…" that was a long way to go…

The Commander stood there, watching the wasteland around them. To think somewhere, buried down there, was a dead Reaper… and the Mother of all Thresher Maws. Minutes passed and Shepard sat down, sleepily dozing off. Damn, it had been one hell of a day.

"It is done" Mordin smiled. He activated his omni-tool and typed on it. A light on it turned blue, much to Shepard's curiosity.

The Commander struggled to his feet.

"We did it, Shepard" Mordin said, moving over to stand next to Shepard. The two remained there, watching the barren fields of dust, the City of the Ancients far away and the disgusting surface of Tuchanka. "We have cured the Genophage" he added.

"Yeah…" Shepard sighed. He closed his eyes, breathing the moment in. "We have made history today".

"Indeed" Mordin nodded.

The two remained silent. And so it began, a new era for the Krogan and Tuchanka…

Shepard walked out of the elevator, next to Mordin, half expecting an army of STGs just waiting there to clean up. Instead, he was surprised to find a whole horde of hardened Krogan, armed to the teeth and covered by God-knows-What. At the lead was none other than Wrex, whose eyes widened when he saw Shepard standing next to a smiling Mordin. The Krogan around Wrex seemed just as surprised.

When the doors to the elevator opened, the Krogan broke into a full cheer. Wrex, though, was lost between looking at Mordin and then at Shepard.

"Wrex" Shepard greeted.

"Shepard" Wrex nodded slowly back.

"We were wrong" Mordin stated.

The entire place was quiet. The Warlord seemed utterly baffled by the turn of events.

"Wait, you mean…?" Wrex eyed Shepard, shocked. "You didn't sell us out?"

"After every freaking thing I bloody did for you… you question my loyalty, you large piece of crap?" Shepard muttered.

The Krogans all laughed at their leader's expense, amused by the human.

"Wow" Wrex spluttered, taken aback. "Even until this day you stood true to me and my people?" He softly hummed, still surprised. "Shepard… I apologize for not trusting you".

"Yeah, I get it. This last past centuries hasn't exactly gave you any reason to trust just one alien" Shepard retorted.

"You're damn right… but I should have known better" Wrex muttered. He quickly smirked. "I'll be damned, you bloody hero!"

Shepard shook his head, walking past the overlord.

"Where are you going?" Wrex asked.

"Hey, there is still a galaxy to save" Shepard said, without turning around. "And I need to return to the Citadel ASAP. The Council will want my head on a platter after this and I rather not complicate matters even more".

"At least stay for the celebrations! You helped lift the Genophage from my people. You assisted in liberating the planet from the Reapers! Every Krogan will want to see the human that made it all possible" Wrex exclaimed. "You could stay. You will be safe here from the bloody Council".

Shepard, standing near the exit, with bags under his eyes, stopped walking to turn around and flash a smile at the warlord.

"As tempting as it is, Wrex…" Shepard chuckled. "Duty calls" and thus he walked off.

Wrex silently grumbled glaring at leaving form of his frame… his brother in all but blood. He didn't want to admit it, but he felt remorse for the way he treated the Commander. There was what he could call the greatest friend Krogans ever had… and he treated the man like a dirty cloth. Shepard deserved better… the heroic bastard. Mordin silently walked over to stand next to the Krogan.

"So… we were all wrong about Shepard, huh?" Wrex muttered, glaring at the Salarian.

"Indeed" Mordin nodded, his smile faltering. "But for how long?" He asked, worried.

Wrex grumbled a bit more. "He just needs to hold out until after we've dealt with the Council…"

Mordin nodded soberly. "I'll inform the others… we will proceed as planned".

Wrex smirked sardonically, relishing in the moment. He looked at his fellow Krogan. "Well? What are we waiting for? Tonight, we celebrate our great victory!"

* * *

Shepard felt rather dizzy, stumbling down a flight of stairs outside the Shroud. He smiled sorrowfully. He felt like an idiot, being used by Wrex… he sighed. Doing what was right was not always easy, after all. The commander stopped dead on his feet as he noticed the gathered people in front of the landed shuttle. With their helmets off and smiling tiredly at him, were his crew.

James had a bandage around his forehead and his left eye, but smugly stood there, arms folded. Garrus smirked at him, looking as tired as when Shepard had pulled his sorry arse from Omega. Nyreen was just as tired, if not grumpier. Liara's smile was filled with more emotion and hope, with one arm on a sling. Traynor, Steve, Dr Michele and the two privates, were unscathed, expectantly waiting for orders.

"Come on, you lot, we are leaving to the Citadel" Shepard told his team. "We are going to have our own party there… and hey, drinks will be on me".

"Halleluiah!" James cried out waving a triumphant fist into the air. The rest cheered or laughed, boarding the shuttle.

Shepard found himself seated, and while excited chatter filled the small flying vehicle up towards the Normandy, the man's eyes slowly closed. A smile graced the sleeping Commander, as peace buried him deep in a realm of dreams, and hope.

* * *

 **End of Part I**

* * *

Author Notes: So here it is, the last chapter for the first part of Mass Effect 3: A Different War. The next part will revolve around the Cerberus Coup, the Quarians and the Rannoch Arc. More of ME2 crewmates will show up.

Seriously, the lack of reviews was disappointing. Still, I'll ask: so what did you think? What do you expect to happen? What would you like to see? What did you like or disliked?

Thanks, the Emerald Commander.


	13. Part II - Chapter 1: Betrayals

**Mass Effect: A different War**

 **Part II**

 **Chapter I: Betrayals**

"Overexerting yourself, yet again" an agonizingly admonishing Doctor Chakwas haughtily chided, glaring at Shepard.

The Commander offered a timid smile at the woman, feeling like a child under her motherly gaze. The silver-haired woman sighed with frustration, conceding her defeat, before turning around and towards the shelve that stood on the opposite wall to her desk. Shepard managed to smile with amusement at his doctor's ire. That woman could be a worrywart when she wanted.

"You keep this up, Commander, and half your implants will be burning through your skin" Chakwas warned, making Shepard grimace. She was rummaging between different boxes, searching for something. "As it is, your optical cybernetics in your eyes will go next unless you manage to release all that stress in you…"

Shepard's grimace deepened at that. He hadn't liked having two glowing scarlet eyes, eyes that reminded him of the Terminator movie series. The doctor returned, carrying a small canister of something.

"I suggest you find a hobby, something that doesn't include explosions or certain death" Chakwas suggested as she sprayed a liquid over Shepard's face where glowering cybernetic implants were exposed to the world. "For example, finding yourself a companion" Shepard nearly chocked at the suggestion. "Oh, please, Shepard, we are both adults, and this war will take your toll on your health unless you gave do something about all that body tension – sex is a good way, and you have a large enough cabin to enjoy having a companion. Have you tried EDI's body?"

Shepard felt himself blush at the mention of EDI. Flustered, he struggled to keep himself composed and keep some of his dignity intact. He was, after all, the Commander Shepard of legend.

"Her body functions are extremely fascinating" Chakwas said, awed. "It is impressive what human ingenuity can achieve in attempts to get laid".

"Commander Shepard has already performed intercourse with my body" EDI's disembodied voice declared, making Shepard extremely uncomfortable. He did sigh, though, showing his contempt.

"Oh, is that so" a smugly smirking Chakwas raised an eyebrow at a huffing Commander. "My, my, my, Commander, aren't you full of surprises?"

"Yeah, yeah, laugh it up" Shepard muttered. He was going to have a talk with EDI about intervening in personal medical examinations.

The doctor rolled her eyes, grinning. "I am not going to judge on that, Shepard" she chuckled.

"Yeah, but I bet Tali will" Shepard grumbled. He hid his face behind his palms in shame. "She is going to gut me…"

"Oh, I wouldn't worry about Miss Zorah's response to your new girlfriend" Chakwas replied with amusement.

"Why do I get the feeling you know something about Tali that I don't? The same with EDI. She said something similar" Shepard squinted suspiciously at the doctor.

"That's because I DO know something about her you don't" Chakwas shrugged, mischief colouring her voice. "As well as EDI. Trust me, Tali will probably be happy for you".

"Probably?" Shepard raised an eyebrow at her.

"You do plan to reconnect with her, don't you?" Chakwas asked with a worried frown. It was at times like this that Shepard was reminded of his late mother, especially when said woman had a strong desire to nose in Shepard's love life.

"Well, yeah?" Shepard shrugged.

"Then you have nothing to fear" the doctor mused with a smile. "So, since we are at the topic, what was EDI's performance in bed?"

"I rather not go into details" the Commander muttered, half embarrassed, half annoyed by such bold question.

"There is nothing to be embarrassed about. Do you know how many Alliance soldiers end up having sex with artificial bodies? It is far more common than you suspect" Chakwas insisted.

"While I might not be able judge my own performance, I must say Commander Shepard performed exceedingly well - beyond expectations and pushing the limits of my programing and capabilities" EDI chimed in.

"Oh, really?" Chakwas was grinning at that, while Shepard groaned. She looked like she would break into full-blown laughter.

"Indeed, he also managed to push the limitations of my body to a degree no human could have" EDI carried on, much to Shepard's agonizing embarrassment. "I must make note of the Commander's stamina".

"Could we talk about something else?" Shepard begged.

The doctor chuckled, but nodded nonetheless. "Well Shepard, I must say that I won't have to worry about you blowing up any time soon then – should I worry about EDI's body, though?" she giggled, earning a glare from the Commander. "Oh, come on, Shepard, it was a joke".

Shepard grumbled something incoherent.

"Hey, Commander, we are nearing the Citadel" Joker announced from the cockpit. "ETA thirty minutes".

"Thanks for the heads up" Shepard told the pilot as the channel was closed. "Alright, I better be going…"

"Why the hurry, Commander? Don't you want to stay and chat a bit more with your favourite doctor?" Chakwas hummed, her face smiling like a Cheshire cat.

Shepard's response was a murderous glare that got the doctor laughing. The commander grumpily stomped his way out of the med-bay, feeling an eye twitch with annoyance. And Doctor Chakwas asked why he didn't visit more often. Muttering all the way, he took the elevator and rode it up one deck.

"Hello, Commander" Traynor greeted the man with a merry smile, before looking with a curious face at the captain. "Is everything alright?"

"Peachy" Shepard grunted.

"Ah, you've been to Doctor Chakwas" Traynor nodded. "Don't worry, I know how you feel". The Commander raised an eyebrow at her, who immediately blushed. "She does enjoy embarrassing her patients".

"She relishes on it" Shepard muttered. "So, any news I should know about?"

"Hmmm" Traynor eyed her computer terminal, the galaxy map glowing in front. "That's odd… you should have received at least one mail from the Council or the Alliance after we connected to the com buoy…"

"They might not be expecting me to return" Shepard grimaced. "Oh boy, I hope this isn't a mistake…"

"What do you mean, Commander?" Traynor wondered. "You did an excellent job on Tuchanka. We liberated it from the Reapers, after all".

"I might have cured the Genophage along the way" Shepard mumbled with a dismissive wave of his hand.

"Wait – cure the – when? What?" Traynor spluttered, confused. She blinked at him, shocked. "You are joking, aren't you?"

"Welcome to the Normandy, Miss Traynor where we do the impossible and live to tell the tale" Shepard sighed, walking past Traynor and towards the cockpit.

"Wait, but… you can't be serious!" He heard the specialist exclaim.

Shepard had to admit he was a bit surprised when he saw that Garrus was at the cockpit standing next to Joker, trading some funny jokes. He smiled at the small banter. He had never actually seen the two having a friendly discussion. Hell, Shepard rarely recalled Joker speaking with anyone else other than EDI, and that was because Joker was a much different and grumpier person outside of the comforts of his pilot seat.

"Ah, Shepard" Garrus nodded ceremoniously at the Commander. "Good to see you awake and ready".

"Yeah, especially after yesterday. I mean, seriously Shepard? I know you said you won't allow Reapers walk all over you, but that didn't mean go right under it and play mouse-and-cat, y'know?" Joker taunted.

The pilot's face pried itself from the screen in front to smirk at the Commander, who rolled his eyes. With an Alliance cap replacing the old Cerberus one and still carrying something between a beard and stubble on his face, Joker looked haggard and tired, with bags under his eyes. Something clearly was keeping him up at night.

Garrus huffed, his mandibles spreading with a turian smile. "Only you Shepard…" he chuckled. Sobering up he turned to Shepard. "Say, Shepard, could I have a word with you?"

"Would you look at that? Our little turian is finally using human expressions!" Joker teased.

The two veteran soldiers ignored the pilot, walking out of the cockpit and towards the door of the air-lock. Shepard was somewhat confused by the reason of this small talk, that and what Garrus was doing outside his small cave down at the Main Cannon, but he dismissed those thoughts.

"So… hiding from someone?" Shepard eyed the turian in front, who immediately glared at Shepard. Shepard must have hit a soft spot if Garrus' mandibles angrily slapped his razor-sharp teeth.

"No" Garrus grunted, his mandibles flapping repeatedly and with annoyance, before they twitched, still. It was a sign of turian uncertainty. "Well… maybe" he sighed, sounding confused and weary. "Nyreen and I might have… how do you say it? Released some energy?"

"That was more graphical than I would have liked, but yes" Shepard replied nonchalantly, nodding. "After yesterday, I know how you feel".

"Yeah well" Garrus nervously rubbed the back of his neck. "She might have been a bit… aggressive about it".

"Oh, now you've got a female turian jumping all over you? It must be the badass scar" Shepard teased.

"Amusing, yes" Garrus grunted, deadpanning. "I believe she might be going through something personal. But that wasn't what I wanted to talk about".

"Everything alright?" Shepard hummed, curious.

"Well, that was what I wanted to talk about" Garrus started saying, hesitant. "Really, Shepard?" He folded his arms in a human manner "curing the Genophage?" Shepard raised an eyebrow at his turian friend. "I had suspected what you were up to with Mordin staying around for longer than necessary, Shepard, but I didn't believe you would actually pull it off".

"You don't approve, I suppose" Shepard sighed. Here they go again…

"I can't say I agree with your decision, much less the timing" Garrus grunted. "But then again, you've proven you are a good leader, Shepard. You might not be a politician, but you certainly know what is best for everyone. My issue is the way you kept this hidden, like the Thannar missiles".

Shepard nodded. Yeah, he had screwed up with that too.

"You are closing yourself off from the rest of us" Garrus remarked. "I won't question your decisions, I trust your judgement, but I do find this change in you… disconcerting".

"Yeah, I know. I dropped the ball on that" Shepard conceded. "Unfortunately, with this war going on, it just feels like more and more is resting on my shoulders. One wrong choice and I could cost the lives of millions. I won't justify my secretiveness – I don't think I did right thing keeping all of that from you, especially given how you pull your neck on the line as much as I do".

"I am not judging" Garrus stated. "You have the right to keep such important information from us. All I want is for you not to lose yourself in this war, Shepard. We all worry what this conflict will mean for all of us. We also know you, as our leader, have it particularly rougher than the rest of us. Just allow us to help next time".

"Understood" Shepard smiled at his turian friend. "Don't worry, I am not planning on going mental any time now".

"Just hold on until we have dealt with the Reapers" Garrus smirked with amusement. "I rather not have to stand up in your place if something happens to you".

"Ah-ha" Shepard deadpanned. "You really know how to inspire people" he added with sarcasm.

"Always my pleasure" Garrus purred.

"Hey, are you two done making out?" Joker asked.

"Almost" Shepard retorted.

"Urgh – now there is one hell of a mental image" the pilot shuddered. "Well, sorry to interrupt your buddy-buddy bromance there but we've got a problem here".

"Don't we always?" Garrus grumbled. Shepard couldn't agree more.

"What's the problem, Joker?" Shepard asked the pilot.

"The Alliance isn't answering" Joker informed the Commander. "I've tried all channels. Nothing – seems like the systems are scrambled".

"That can't be good" Garrus commented.

"You think they are having technical issues?" Shepard wondered.

"Doubtful – there are always backups for this" the Turian shook his head, well-versed in the workings of the Citadel. "If it is anything, it is sabotage".

The three people present at the cockpit traded weary looks at that. That was definitely not good, especially considering this was the Citadel.

"Open an inter-com to Traynor" Shepard told Joker. The pilot silently did as told. "Traynor, I want you to link up to any channels from the Citadel ASAP – this is urgent".

"Go for C-Sec channels" Garrus chimed in. At Shepard's inquisitive look, the turian explained. "If anything big happened down at the docks, then C-Sec is bound to be moving there".

"I'll see what I can do" Traynor replied.

"What do you think is happening?" Garrus asked Shepard.

"Your guess is as good as mine" Shepard sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. Really? After he nearly died by a Reaper something goes wrong at the Citadel. "Indoctrinated agents perhaps?"

"Perhaps… but why now? And why this bold?" Garrus wondered. "It is stupid, considering C-Sec has increased its military strength since the battle of the Citadel".

"Commander, I did it!" Traynor exclaimed through the inter-com.

"You don't cease to amaze me, Traynor" Shepard smile at the woman's enthusiasm. He stepped back from the console to hear the frequency Traynor had picked up.

"-repeat, Cerberus is all over the Presidium! I repeat, all units, we need you to return to Headquarters, now!"

"Bailey?" Shepard frowned, confused.

"Cerberus?!" Joker gasped. "What the hell are they doing at the Citadel?"

"It had to be them" Garrus growled, his mandibles quivering with anger.

"We are flying down to C-Sec Headquarters" Shepard decided, nudging Garrus to accompany him. "Joker, spread the word. Contact all C-Sec units, every station or post out there and rally them".

"Aye, aye, sir" Joker nodded, starting to furiously type on console before him.

Shepard turned around and walked out of the cockpit, closely followed by Garrus, both of them scowling at the turn of events. Why did this always happen?

* * *

"What's the situation, Shepard?" Liara asked, sounding utterly confused from behind her white helmet.

The shuttle trembled for a moment there as Cortez flew them across the internal open spaces in the Presidium underground. This was highly illegal, given how this space was reserved for emergency services like C-Sec sky-cars and the sort. However, they didn't have any time.

Shepard, standing and with a hand clenching a strap on the ceiling, morosely turned to his team. They were still recuperating from Tuchanka, still weary and worn out. It had been hell there, after all. And yet, they all knew that this was not good. In full armour and arms ready, heading into the Presidium… that was never a good sign…

"We aren't sure" Shepard sighed. "We've lost the frequency with Bailey… it is likely that Cerberus found him – all we know is that Cerberus has hit C-Sec Command".

They all knew what that meant.

"How did they do it? How could they slip through C-Sec like that?" Garrus wondered. It must be disturbing for him, particularly because he had many friends and companions while he worked there years in the past.

"Cerberus appears to hold a great influence and pool of resources than we had expected" Liara remarked. "This is probably a desperate manoeuvre of Cerberus. With the Alliance and Council starting to raid their operations, Cerberus must be trying to fight back".

"Maybe… although I doubt that. This must have been planned thoroughly" Shepard shook his head. "They probably planted moles in C-Sec and slowly smuggled people over months just for this moment". He took a moment to stare at Liara, lost in thought. "They must be after something big".

"What could that be?" James asked. "I mean, really? The Presidium? It is a boring place, y'know? And Cerberus doesn't have enough men to deal with all C-Sec".

"Perhaps a terror attack" Shepard suggested. "But that is definitely not Cerberus M.O."

"Terror attack?" Nyreen inquired, confused.

"Back on Earth, radical ideologies would generally attempt to gain relevance by trying to keep people in a constant sense of fear. Radicals would bomb schools, churches, airports… anywhere public and with lots of people" Shepard explained.

"That doesn't sound like Cerberus" Garrus grunted. "More like Batarians…"

"You humans have a weird history and culture" Nyreen commented, disturbed.

"You have no idea" James snorted.

"We are approaching the LZ" Cortez interrupted.

The team stiffened, bracing themselves for combat. The side door of the shuttle swished open, revealing a large platform where many sky-cars were parked. All blue and owned by C-Sec, the number of sky-cars were relatively few, suggesting that the station was probably understaffed at the moment with most officers outside. Shepard quickly noticed the two standing Cerberus assault troopers. By this point, Shepard wasn't surprise upon seeing the usual white-clad men.

"Cerberus! Open fire!" Shepard yelled, aiming his assault rifle and firing.

The two enemy soldiers had clearly been quick to act, for they started shooting first. Expertly, they went to cover while Shepard's team kept the pressure on their position and moved onto the nearest crates and C-Sec sky-car. From the only door that led to the parking area, more Cerberus soldiers poured out. While their armours were distinctively the same, Shepard couldn't deny that their weapons were… different.

At first glance, the ten enemy Cerberus soldiers, mostly Assault Troopers with the pair of shield-protected Centurions leading them, were using Mattock Assault Rifles. There did have Cerberus insignias and some yellow stripes, but other than that they were pretty much the same. However, as they fired at Shepard, the Commander was somewhat baffled by the sound they produced. There was a hiss – or was it a hum? – that went along the usual thunder of the shot. While many would have taken that as a minor insignificant detail, to a seasoned combatant it was telling: those were not your every-day kinetic weapons. Of course, when you are in the middle of a firefight you can't really ponder on such things.

The two sides traded shots, with the Cerberus troopers being exceedingly proficient. They moved and acted like one killing machine. First they opened fire on them, making use of their numerical superiority to keep Shepard's team pinned down, while they spread, eager to get a better shot. One or two would boldly sprint to a new position, rolling immediately upon being targeted. It was a pity that Shepard and his soldiers were just as good – that and having a pair of biotics on your side tended to make firefights a one-sided affair. With Nyreen's biotic pushes and Liara's singularities, there was little Cerberus could hope to achieve.

Admittedly, Cerberus was being more determined than usual, lasting ten minutes before the remaining three hastily retreated into C-Sec headquarters. Whether they were running for their lives or merely regrouping with the bulk of a large force was left to be discovered. Knowing Cerberus, Shepard was a bit sure the latter was likeliest.

There was no room to speak. Silently, and only with hand gestures, Shepard and company moved forward, in turns, keeping their attention on the door. The Commander did spare a glance at one of the fallen Cerberus troopers, reminded of the strange sound of their guns. He quickly dismissed those thoughts, remembering there were more important matters to deal with.

As they reached the entrance to C-Sec headquarters, the Commander wondered what was going on inside. Could there be an army? He wouldn't be surprised, but at the same time he couldn't deny it would be almost impossible to achieve, regardless of Cerberus' tack for annoying everyone. It was needless to add that this was, perhaps, the bolded move on Cerberus part. There was no telling what or who they were after. With sternness in their eyes, they braced for what they would find inside. Shepard waved a hand at the green interface and the door opened…

Shepard raised an eyebrow as the team slowly traversed the relatively quiet place that greeted them. There was an annoying tune playing all around as the five of them walked across a corridor. To their left, they saw what appeared to be a long hallway with many doors at either side. There was no one there. There didn't even appeared to be any sign of violence or gunfire.

With his hand, Shepard signalled them to keep moving, all crouching and weapons ready. They moved to the door closest to them and quickly opened it, only to find a chamber that connected to changing rooms. The team grimaced at what they found.

Under the still running water of showers, the team found a pile of bodies… all clad in C-Sec blues. They had been brutally executed in cold blood, if the scorched patches on one wall, decorated by the blood stains of the innocent, were anything to go by. There were a mixture of all races, all of which had been left bleeding on one gruesome mess.

"…Spirits" Garrus whispered. Like Nyreen, they were transfixed by the horrible discovery.

"Goddess" Liara murmured, wide-eyed. She turned to Shepard, visibly shaken. "It- it would seem this is Cerberus' new… new… rule of engagement".

Shepard had to agree with the asari on that. "Come on" he told his team. "We aren't finished yet".

The Commander shook his head and they retreated back to the corridor. After what they had just seen, Shepard had to admit he was a tad surprised by the state of the rest of the place. The rooms they found on that hallway were all empty, being either a small office, locker rooms, or the sort. It was strange to notice nothing was upturned or disturbed, as if the C-Sec officers walked out rather than actually getting attacked. It painted a confusing picture in Shepard's head.

The fact they weren't finding any new corpses in a place where there were supposed to be dozens upon dozens of officers implied Cerberus might have been selective on their executions… that or they had yet to find the other execution grounds… Still, there were also Cerberus troopers missing. Had the team killed all Cerberus soldiers? Given how Fate seemed to treat Shepard those days, odds against such notion.

Of course, the peace couldn't last for long. As they carried deeper into the facility, they came across what appeared to be a central hall of sorts, with benches and decorations. Shepard guessed that they were actually at the heart of the headquarters, at least on that floor. Regardless, what it once was might have been irrelevant, considering the few changes Cerberus had brought about. That and they had been waiting for Shepard.

The first thing Shepard noticed were the two turrets that were quick on spotting them and pinning the small team back. That being said, it was hard to miss the weird shield-cover placed at each side of the turrets where Cerberus troopers hid behind. There was a large generator at the back that appeared to feed energy on those covers. That and a large squadron of the most diverse Cerberus troopers Shepard had ever encountered.

There were humans Assault Troopers and Centurions, alongside a pair of Turian soldiers. On the levels above, on a balcony, there were black-clad snipers, which so happened to be Salarians. Three Krogan Guardians kept their distance with their shields, with the same number of Quarian Engineers diligently staying close to the turrets and generator – glancing on their omni-tools. To top it off, two slim female figures – dressed in tight, white light-armour – hid amidst the heavier comrades, with only a gun and a sword to aid them. Shepard had the distinct feeling the last type of Cerberus troopers were biotics… Shepard swore at that.

How did Shepard and his team push through? Shepard had no idea. It might have been Garrus amazing skills with the Sniper rifle, which took down the generator with a one-in-a-million shot, or maybe Liara's biotics overwhelmed anything the human counterparts could throw. Perhaps James' surprising skill in kicking grenades back at the enemy had been key in the firefight. For all Shepard could tell, it might have been Nyreen's impressive biotic barriers that, against an onslaught of gunfire, it was a godsend. Whatever it was, by the end of it, the central hall was a complete mess riddled with only carnage, destruction and God knows what else.

It did take its time, unfortunately. And Shepard was sweating by the end of the fight. Thankfully, he wasn't easy to tire. The same couldn't be same for the others. It was a very tense and twitchy team that managed to victoriously march into the hall, eyes snapping at each door just waiting for a new Cerberus trooper to show up.

"Shepard, that door is locked" Garrus pointed at a door on a side. The distinct red-interface stated the Turian sniper was right. "I think it leads to one of the offices".

"Unlock it" Shepard ordered. "Where exactly is the communication tower?"

"That way" Garrus pointed at a staircase to their left. "Where is everyone?" He hesitantly added.

The answer to that question so happened to be behind the closed door. As they managed to hack it open, they were taken aback by the group of blue-clad people. Far more baffling, however, was the fact they were all tied and muffled. Between them, Shepard was rather shocked to find a bleeding Commander Bailey. True, the man looked like he was ready to strangle a Krogan, but one couldn't deny Bailey had been… roughed up.

"Quick, untie them" he said, taking note of the two dozen C-Sec officers. Cerberus had really taken them by surprise. It did leave Shepard to wonder why Cerberus hadn't killed them… or used them as hostages. Whatever it was, Shepard was sure he wouldn't like the answer to that. "Bailey, what the hell is going on?"

"As if I knew I would tell you" Bailey muttered as he massaged his wrists. "One moment we were receiving reports of explosions all around and batarians rioting at the wards and then out of nowhere these guys show up and herd us here. I tried to get a communication out, but nothing seemed to patch through – I have no idea why no one has returned to the station, yet".

Shepard hummed, thoughtfully. "What could Cerberus want?" He wondered.

"Those were Cerberus?" Bailey asked, surprised. "Damned if I know". He turned to the now untied colleagues, although most still needed to be freed. "You go ahead, Commander. We'll finish here and try to keep this place".

"Alright" Shepard nodded. "We'll check the Communication tower".

"That's a good idea – someone might be directing my men off this place" Bailey realized. "Good luck, Commander".

The Commander and his team moved onward towards the tower. C-Sec headquarters was a rather expensive looking building, from what Shepard managed to take in. From what he glanced at, C-Sec wasn't short in funds, with clean white walls and ceiling, many computer terminals and even recreation rooms with holo-screens and tables, a statue here and there, and a good lot of plants on the corners of corridors, rooms and offices. The thing that was missing were officers, or any signs of combat. How had Cerberus been capable of such successful diversion? Had most of the people been called out leaving a skeleton crew to be captured? It was smart, but above all, it meant there must have been a handful of moles and traitors.

There were no enemies on their way there, only finding two Cerberus assault troopers guarding the door to their destination. They did manage to shoot back at Shepard and his comrades, but it was in vain. It was worth noticing that no reinforcements came through the door to the Communication Tower. Thus, the team prepared for a heavily reinforced Cerberus squad inside.

That didn't happen. On the contrary, they couldn't have been any more wrong. It wasn't just that no Cerberus troopers were prepared to shoot at them. Rather, it was the fact that there were only three individuals in the admittedly large room. Another thing Shepard was not expecting was to find a familiar woman standing behind two Assault Troopers who worked on some consoles in the communication tower.

"…patrol 10, unit seven needs you at Jantuna Restaurant in level 3" Kasumi Goto said, speaking straight to his omni-tool.

Shepard's eyes widened. It was all too clear just how Cerberus had achieved what they did now. He did recall the master thief using that technology to trick a security guard into thinking she was the chief of security. To say the Commander was thunderstruck would have been an understatement. He didn't bother pondering on the fact she had her back to him and clearly not prepared for a firefight, or the reason she seemed rather calm for everything she was actually involved in. The mere fact she was proudly showing a Cerberus insignia on her, though, seemed to jam Shepard's mind.

Kasumi was dressed like always. This time, however, instead of blue adorning the black of her tight suit, her clothing had crimson red, and a proud Cerberus insignia could be seen on her shoulder and chest. Shepard's expression hardened as he glared at Kasumi, shock replaced with fury. Treachery.

"Kasumi…" Shepard said softly, a reluctant gun poised to kill the Master Thief. "Turn around, slowly".

The Master thief glanced at Shepard, her shadowed face visibly impassive. Under the hood, she offered a strained smile as she followed Shepard's order.

"Shep, old pal…" she chuckled uneasily.

"You two, up – hands where I can see them" Garrus growled at the two operatives handling the inter-com. They slowly complied, probably glaring behind their visors – or at least that's what one could assume.

"Kasumi, put your hands up" Shepard squinted at the master thief, a threating edge to his voice.

"Hey, no need to get violent" Kasumi spluttered. "This isn't what it looks like, I swear".

"That Insignia on your chest says otherwise" Liara pointed out.

"Oh, sod off blue-skinned slut" Kasumi hissed, glaring at the asari. Liara was not the only one taken aback by the venom coming from Kasumi's mouth. For the second time on the same day, Shepard's mind was, for the lack of a better term, clogged. "Don't you have some stripper bar to dance in?"

"Wow, geez – someone is pissed" James exclaimed.

"What the hell Kasumi?" Shepard cried out, surprised at Kasumi's spiteful tone. It was rather unlike the thief to be like that. Then again, it was unlike Kasumi to wear a uniform or be part of a shady organization like Cerberus… and yet there she was. At the moment, Shepard decided not to dwell on the thousands of questions throbbing his head. There were just too many to ask as it was, and too much to think about.

"Since when do you work for Cerberus?" Garrus asked as he led the two unarmed Assault Troopers to stand next to Kasumi.

"Oh, Garry, so good to see you – looking good" Kasumi teased with a friendly sarcastic tone.

Her attitude and way of talking was so familiar - both in tone and pose - that Shepard shuddered. A part of him wanted to deny the fact this was Kasumi, the very same on he had assisted so time prior. However, her very presence contradicted that notion.

"Answer the question, Kasumi" Shepard sighed, starting to feel annoyed.

"Wow, Shep, didn't think you were short in patience, with all that paragon talk back when we were saving the galaxy" Kasumi taunted.

"Can we shoot her?" Nyreen growled.

"Uuh, so you are Garry's girlfriend? We should really go out one day and have a girl's night out – you won't image the stories I've got about Garry" Kasumi smirked at Shepard. It was clear she was not about to say anything useful and would rather keep irking her captors.

"Don't – call – me – Garry" Garrus growled. Kasumi merely giggled, winking at the turian.

Shepard was starting to get exasperated. Still, it was hard coming to terms to the fact Kasumi Goto, the easy-going gossip-monger of the Normandy was part of Cerberus. Where had the friendly woman gone? Had Kasumi been indoctrinated? What had happened? He quickly shook his head, reining in the desire to delve into the tsunami of questions. Now was not the time.

"On the floor, now" Shepard ordered, pointing his gun at the ground.

"Sorry, Shep, can't do" Kasumi smirk was beyond devious as she stared into Shepard's eyes.

Before the Commander could think of anything, one of the assault troopers lung forward at him while the other one moved over to Garrus. The Commander was able to shake the trooper off easy enough while Nyreen and Liara shot the second one. However, by the time Shepard turned to look at Kasumi, she was gone. His eyes noticed the disturbance and shimmer in the air, a weird thing that raced towards the door. He drew his handgun and shot at it, missing as the door opened and a cloaked Kasumi managed to get away. By the squealed of fear, he hadn't missed by far.

"Son of a…" Shepard growled running after Kasumi. The others were taken by surprise, given how they were unable to see what Shepard was following.

The Commander stopped dead on his feet and stared at the corridor in front. There was no shimmer, flicker or movement in the air. He squinted to the way ahead, and then to a side. He's eyes snapped at something that suddenly fell from above, before his eyes widened. Black and in the shape of a cylinder, it beeped right over his feet. The flash grenade painfully blinded him.

Shepard, however, was not out of the count. Stepping back and gritting his teeth as he tried to regain his composure, and sight, he aimed his handgun ahead, instinctively following the sound of soft footsteps. His finger was ready to pull the trigger… and yet it didn't. Shepard lowered his gun as his eyesight returned, the footsteps of the invisible woman fading away. He couldn't do it…

"Shepard!" Liara exclaimed hurrying to Shepard's side. "Are you alright?"

"A flash grenade, Kasumi used to have a ton of those" Garrus remembered.

"And a cloaking field" Nyreen added with a guttural growl.

"Damn it!" Shepard hissed, shaking his head. His head rang painfully. He had always hated those freaking grenades… and yet the pain of betrayal hurt more than anything that thing could have done.

"Hey, what do we do?" James wondered as he appeared, dragging a struggling Cerberus assault trooper out with him.

"Shepard!" Bailey's voice echoed across the corridor as the C-Sec commander himself appeared at the other side of the hallway, accompanied by five other C-Sec officers, all brandishing guns. "What's the situation here?"

"They were controlling your men through the coms, keeping them going in circles" Shepard told the man.

"Bastards" Bailey muttered through his teeth. "Do you have any idea why they did this? Why bother taking over this station?"

"No…" Shepard frowned, shaking his head. "Doesn't make sense. What do they win by controlling this place?"

Bailey hummed thoughtfully, while Shepard abstained from sighing exhasperatedly. They didn't have any time! If Kasumi was involved – as much as it pained him to admit it – it probably involved a heist… maybe. It was Garrus, however, who seemed to come up with an answer.

All of a sudden, Garrus cried with realization as he slammed a fist on his open palm. "This place oversees the Council Tower!" He exclaimed. "If Cerberus was able to give the alarm…" he paused as he slowly figured out Cerberus' potential goal. "Then the Council would be evacuated – and with Cerberus controlling C-Sec patrols…"

"They are after the Council?" Shepard whispered, perplexed. "Aren't they well protected or something?"

Bailey hurried over into the communication tower, rushing to the intercom where he started typing. "Generally, there are at least twenty special agents protecting the Councillors at all times… including a pair of Spectres" he stated. "However… they have an advantage. They could lead the Council to an ambush".

"Where's the Council?" Shepard asked, leaning over. Oh boy, the Council? Cerberus was aiming higher and higher by the day… but why now? And why the Council? Next time Shepard worked with Cerberus, he would ask for a brochure for future reference. Maybe there they would write their line of thought out.

"Let's see… let's see… ah-ha!" Bailey pointed at a screen, where it showed a security camera. There, the four Councillors were being led down staircases by a pair of turians. Taking the rear was… Ashely? Shepard frowned. What was she doing up and running? And next to the Council?

"Where are they…? Oh no, no, no, no, no" Bailey started blubbering, shaking his head. "They are being led to evacuation point 3… Shepard, they will be exposed! That's right on the Presidium financial district."

"Cerberus will probably be waiting there in force" Shepard concluded. "Without C-Sec in the area…"

"I'll redirect everyone to converge on the Council" Bailey decided.

"No, move the quick response to the Council's Extraction site. Have everyone secure all around. We have no idea where Cerberus could be or how they will strike. It could be a sniper for all we know" Shepard said. "Given the size of the force here, I don't think Cerberus managed to smuggle many troops".

"Yeah, I agree" Bailey nodded. "So you think it will be assassins?"

"Or sabotage" Shepard suggested. "How do Council evacuations take place?"

"Damn if I know" Bailey huffed. "Last I heard a team of asari Commandos would show up in a shuttle and take the Council to the Destiny Ascension… but I think they modified the protocol after the Battle of the Citadel – you think Cerberus might sabotage their shuttle?"

"Maybe" Shepard added. "We need to reach them before it is too late. Give me coordinates! I've have a shuttle in the area".

"Understood! Godspeed, Commander" Bailey said.

* * *

Shepard stood uneasily, looming over the space between the pilot and co-pilot seats of the shuttle. Cortez was flying the shuttle as fast as he could through the air while James acted as the co-pilot, the two frenzied over the console. How could they not? Cerberus was on its way to killing the entire Council!

"What's our ETA?" Shepard asked.

"One to two minutes" Cortez replied.

"Cerberus really has some cojones" James commented gruffly.

"More like they are insane" Cortez rebutted. "What are they even thinking? What can they gain by killing the Council of all people?"

"I wish I knew" Shepard nodded, leaning back. He sighed, shaking his head. Turning around, he was greeted by his other teammates, standing, ready to jump off the shuttle and rescue the Council.

Garrus seemed the most contemplative of the lot. "You alright there, Garrus?" Shepard wondered.

"Yes" the turian nodded. "It's about Kasumi. It's hard to believe she would betray us".

"Where did you know that female human?" Nyreen inquired.

"She was part of my crew that took down the Collector Base" Shepard told the female turian. "She was really nice back then… and a freelancer. Why is she working for Cerberus?" He noticed Liara was somewhat… uncomfortable. "Liara? You look anxious".

"I am still reeling at that thief's insult" Liara softly replied, looking down at her feet. Shepard felt a tug on his heart at how vulnerable and innocent she appeared to be. Even after all this time, Liara clearly was not resilient to such harshness. It was the same naivity that had made her appear so… cute. But that was in the past, Shepard reminded himself… right? "I didn't expect such slurs…" she faintly added.

"Well, she is working for Cerberus now. The Illusive Man really has a thing against Asari" Shepard remarked. "But hey, don't let those words get to you, or else they will keep using them. That's what they want – to hurt you".

"I know" Liara nodded, ashamed. "And yet, I can't shake my anger at the insult – perhaps it has to do with the fact I have never been insulted in such a manner, at least not to my face".

"It is rather rare to hear anyone insult an asari" Garrus remarked.

"I don't know. I can go for days about Aria T'lok and she's an asari" Shepard joked.

"Do you believe Cerberus did something to your former crewmate?" Nyreen queried. The Commander took a few seconds to consider that.

"Maybe, it is a good guess" Shepard sighed, hoping that that was not the case. "I would have never thought I would see Kasumi proudly assisting Cerberus kill the Council". He glanced at Liara "or throw an insult at anyone like she did".

"Agreed" Garrus chimed in.

"Alright, Commander, we are – crap, we've got hostiles incoming!" Cortez declared. The shuttle shook, confirming the pilot's statement.

"Open the door, we'll jump" Shepard decided.

"We will?" A terrified Liara cried out.

"That's not a good idea!" Cortez declared.

"Do it!" Shepard ordered.

Reluctantly, Steve opened the side door of the shuttle. Indeed, it did not appear to be a good idea given the speed they were going at. However, Shepard walked over to a side, holding tightly to the hangers overhead. They were flying over the many long balconies of the Presidium where chaos was spreading, and fast. People were running and screaming at this or that, and confusion plagued the ground.

"Nyreen, Liara, use yours biotic to soften our fall – James, get your arse here!" Shepard ordered as the shuttle shook again. "Keep the shuttle steady, Steve!"

"I'm trying!" The pilot shouted back as James hurried to stand next to the Commander.

"You ready?" Shepard eyed Liara and Nyreen, who traded uncertain looks before nodding at their leader. "Now!"

At once, all five leaped out of the shuttle, and to the world below. It felt like they would crash into the ground with a loud splat, until they felt lack the weightlessness of biotic fields wrapping around them. They all touched ground without a hitch, though Liara and Nyreen appeared winded.

"Yeah! Let's do that again at some time" James, sounding exhilarated, laughed.

"Not the time, Lieutenant" Shepard grunted. "Come on, there is a Council that needs saving".

"The Council always needs saving…" Garrus grumbled as the five started trotting through the Presidium.

It was hard to understand what was happening. People were either running around, screaming, or standing, confused, as the team stared at the chaos. There were no fires, explosions or even people shooting. There were, however, looted stalls, destroyed windows and advertisements, and many an ad-hologram flickered or was extinguished. All in all, it was hard to tell what exactly was going on. That didn't mean Shepard and his team didn't find any hostiles. Just as Shepard thought they had landed too far away, someone from a nearby bar opened fire on them.

As it so happened, however, they were not Cerberus…

"Son of a… are those C-Sec?!" Shepard yelled at Garrus as the two of them jumped behind a short wall. All around the team there were tables on some large type of balcony that had a clear view of the Presidium. It probably was an expensive place… or at least it used to be.

"Yeah, it would seem so" Garrus replied, surprised.

Indeed, there were three turians clad in the familiar blue armours of C-Sec, who took cover behind the counter of a bar - or was it a café? - Shepard wasn't sure.

"Why are C-Sec officers shooting at us?" Liara shouted next to James, both crouching next to a bench.

"They must think we are Cerberus" James replied. "Hey, we are not Cerberus!"

"Yeah, really clever there" Shepard groaned, receiving an amused glance from Garrus' hidden face.

Their answer was a shower of bullets. The familiar clanking of their Lancers quickly reminded Shepard, for the briefest of moments, to the sound of Cerberus' guns. Why had they sounded different? As soon as it came, the thought was gone as Shepard forgot about it, preferring to stay in the present.

"Hey, look, more C-Sec" James pointed at the sky behind them.

Flying over a balcony nearby, and with blue colours, a police sky-car landed and the side door opened. Like James had pointed out, it was more C-Sec… five officers. No sooner had they seen Shepard and company, they started firing at them.

"What dah…?!" Shepard threw himself to the ground, trying to stay as low as possible.

"ARGH!" Garrus yelled as a kinetic barrier faltered and a bullet struck him on his shoulder.

"Garrus!" Nyreen cried out, her distress turning into anger. She snapped her head at the incoming C-Sec officers and, with righteous fury, launched a powerful biotic throw that launched all five C-Sec officers out into the world below… to their deaths.

"Kandros, what the hell?!" Shepard exclaimed.

"They are freaking shooting at us" James hissed. "What do you want us to do?"

Shepard groaned. No, the Council wouldn't ask for his head on a platter after that. They would want it on a spike. Damn it.

"Open fire!" Shepard roared, standing up and shooting at the C-Sec turians at the bar/café.

He got one with a headshot while Liara managed to hit another one. The third one tried escape, only to be surrounded by a biotic field. Shepard's eyes widened when he saw Nyreen, growling with burning rage, surrounded by biotic energy. In an instant, she was pulling the poor C-Sec officer from the safety of the floor and shoving him with a powerful throw into the air behind them all, to join the others she had killed. The victim screamed all the way down.

Nyreen fell to her knees, releasing a long painful breath, exhausted. She had overdone herself. James and Liara went to her side and helped her up. The Cabal was too tired to give a damn.

"Nyreen, stay with Garrus" Shepard ordered. "Stay out of sight until all of this blows over. Liara, James, with me".

"It is a flesh wound – I can still fight" Garrus protested with determination, until Shepard slapped him on his wound. "Argh, you bastard!"

"Flesh wound my arse, Garrus" Shepard huffed with an amused, strained smirk. "You are going to get yourself killed if you don't stay put. Kandros" the female turian seemed close to falling unconscious "keep Garrus safe".

Nyreen dizzily nodded as she sat next to the fallen Garrus.

"Come on" Shepard told his two remaining companions, rushing to their destination.

As the three hurried across the Presidium, Liara asked the lingering question: "why did they shoot at us?"

Shepard gritted his teeth, cursing his stupidity and lack of foresight. "Kasumi! She must still have C-Sec frequencies. She probably is guiding C-Sec officers against us".

"Oh, you have got to be kidding me!" James exclaimed. "Really? Using our own allies against us?"

"Very devious" Liara commented, panting.

"Very effective" Shepard grunted.

"There's Shepard. Fire!"

Shepard, hearing that, took cover behind a counter of some shop. His two companions followed suit as someone started shooting at them. Much to Shepard's chagrin, it was a pair of asari C-Sec officers. Much to his surprise, though, one of them was summoning a biotic field. Thankfully, Liara reacted faster and summoned a singularity onto the two officers, who were caught by surprise. James shot the two without second thought. Shepard was about to reprimand the soldier for firing… but decided against it. They were out of time and, admittedly, there hadn't been much else that could have been done – not with their current situation.

The three run out of cover and followed Shepard's HUD, navigating the maze that was the Presidium. A team of five C-Sec Turian Officers attempted to intercept them at one point, but differently from the Cerberus soldiers Shepard was used to, the poor turians didn't stand a chance to remain standing for long. Their persistence was understandable, but at the same time painful for Shepard. He was literally killing police officers who were misled into engaging the Commander.

The Presidium was not a place Shepard had expected to live such horrible experience. Each head-shot or cry of pain from the officers made his heart wrench. Such a beautiful place, filled with tragedy…

"Shepard, on our right" James exclaimed.

Shepard turned his head to that direction, his eyes widening as he spotted yet another C-Sec transport shuttle. The side door opened, but the vehicle didn't land. Instead, it flew in front of them, hovering over a huge advertisement. The Commander found himself petrified upon what he saw. There, standing smugly on the car's interior, was none other than Zaeed Massini… with a rocket-launcher.

"This is nothing personal, Shepard!" The mercenary yelled, shooting at Shepard.

"Son of a…!" Shepard cried out as he dived to a side, only to be sent flying by the ensuing explosion. He hit a wall, painfully hard, and collapsed to a side. Dizzy and confused, he managed to stand up, nonetheless, and take cover behind a short wall, rather exposed.

Zaeed's armour was like Shepard remembered, only a blood red rather than yellow, and it did have the Cerberus insignia. The old geezer cackled over the still flying sky-car.

"Stay down, Shepard" Zaeed Massani warned.

Shepard gritted his teeth, taking a peek from his cover. The hardened mercenary was reloading. Thus, Shepard took the opportunity, raising over his cover, and fired his assault rifle. The side of the sky-car closed, absorbing the damage. Shepard gritted his teeth again, frustrated. Then the side door opened again revealing a smirking Zaeed, missile-launcher ready to wreak havoc.

The old man never got the chance to fire on Shepard as James started shooting from his position. Liara joined in soon after, forcing Zaeed back, deeper into the vehicle. The side-door closed and moved aside, out of the ground and over the air to their right, nothing below it. From there, Zaeed got his chance to shoot. This time, he missed by a long-shot, something he embellished with colourful language.

"We'll meet again, Shepard!" Zaeed yelled as the sky-car retreated.

Shepard glared at the escaping flying vehicle. What the hell was going on? First Kasumi was assisting Cerberus, and now Zaeed? This was getting better and better by the second. Shepard gritted his teeth, getting tired of all of this. He ignored the approaching Liara and James, both of which were worn out and carrying a few scrapes from the first explosion.

"Are you alright?" Liara, quite worriedly, asked, checking the Commander.

"A friend of yours?" James wondered.

"Someone I thought was a friend" Shepard grunted. His glare jumped onto James, making the man wince.

"Damn, Loco, your eyes" the Lieutenant exclaimed.

The Commander frowned, before realizing what the other soldier was alluding to. His cybernetic implants on his eyes were now showing – his original eyes replaced by glowing red… oh great, just what he needed. Shepard could only wonder what the rest of his face probably looked like under the visor of his helmet. He could feel the cybernetic implants burning on his skin, probably in the open for the world to see the monster Shepard truly was…

"No time for that" Shepard sighed, shaking his head and trying to dismiss those errant thoughts. "We need to save the Council" He looked at a nearby door to their left. "There!"

The three went over to the door and across a corridor, riding an elevator. According to his HUD, they had to ride the lift for one floor and then continue. Shepard did just that, allowing them a moment of respite. Unfortunately, no sooner they walked into the elevator, the door shut closed and the lights turned red, a sign that they were locked inside.

"Damn" Shepard hissed. He looked at the ceiling. "James, help me here". The Lieutenant eyed the ceiling and tilted his head with confusion at the Commander. Hesitantly, he knelt and exposed his back for Shepard to step on.

"Wow, you are heavier than you look!" James wheezed as he felt Shepard walk on him.

Shepard ignored the comment and, with a powerful punch, sent a tile of the elevator flying up. He grabbed onto the sides of the small hole and pulled himself up. He then knelt over the top of the elevator and helped Liara, and then James. From there, they turned to a side ladder and climbed it to the next floor, which Shepard had to pry open with James.

"Come on, up these stairs" Shepard said, winded down. He gestured at the flight of stairs on their left. A part of him was hesitant to continue and see what Cerberus had left in store for him…

* * *

Lieutenant Commander Ashley Williams was having a bad day. Well, it hadn't started that bad. The Salarian Councillor had called her to his office to discuss something of importance, giving her an excuse to abandon the annoying hospital. Ashley was enjoying her freedom until she talked with Vallern. The Salarian had many questions, particularly surrounding Councillor Udina… and Shepard.

Ashley hated what she was hearing. According to some evidence the Councillor had gathered, Shepard had single-handedly gone to a secret Cerberus base on Tuchanka (she was not surprised those bastards had yet another one) and killed every STG that had managed to take it over. Apparently, Cerberus – those bastards – were arming the Krogan with some kind of nuclear weapons! Worse yet, it appeared that Shepard was doing the bidding of Cerberus. It was hard to explain Shepard's previous actions but Vallern had a link between Cerberus and Shepard: Councillor Udina.

According to the Salarian, Udina had been moving lots of money and resources around. At first, the Councillor stated that it was expected with the fall of Earth and all… but when the movement continued, and Cerberus agents were suddenly starting to be found as recipients, it became more than evident Udian was with Cerberus. It explained a lot, like how Cerberus had slipped through Eden Prime, Grissom Academy and other places, not to mention how Cerberus had acquired many funds and resources through the most recent months.

Ashley didn't want to believe any of that. Hell, she prayed to God that the Salarian was wrong… but she felt in her heart that he was probably right. Shepard… Shepard for all they knew was a Cerberus construct, a sleeper agent. It made sense. Why waste so much money to build the enemy number one of your very own organization? And not just anyone: Shepard, the goddamn hero of the Citadel!

Sadly, that was when things went downhill. There was a sudden explosion and, before she knew it, Ashley found herself accompanying the Salarian Councillor to the rest of the Council and assisting in their evacuation. C-Sec was not showing up in the scene and some enemy yet to be identified was reported all over the tower. They had to forgo many of the first evacuation routes for a few more dangerous ones as they got word of more incoming enemies.

Then there was confirmation: Cerberus was at the Presidium and shooting their way to the Council. Ashley felt her heart skip a beat when she heard the name. Cerberus… how much she hated those bastards! Why did they keep ruining her life like this?

A tall turian, a Spectre called Tiranne, trotted with her as the two took the rear. Ahead of the group, an asari Spectre called Senna and a heavily armoured Salarian took the leads as they went to their destination. Senna raised her hand and urged them to stop, the four Councillors needing to catch a breath and check for hostiles. They were in some corridor, about to be exposed in the Presidium.

"Kaher" Senna called, giving the unsaid order. The Salarian soldier nodded and trotted ahead, submachinegun ready to kill, checking the way in front. He turned around and signalled that the coast was clear. "Forward" she told the group, returning to trotting together.

Ashley looked around, suspicious. They hadn't actually seen anyone yet, and most of their cohort had moved out to block moving enemies that were going to reach them – or at least that was what they were being told through the secure communication channels. It was quite suspicious… They walked out into the open air of the Presidium, ignoring its beauty to hurry across the balcony. They took a turn left, moving through a bridge connecting two balconies, and then…

"We are here" Senna sighed, relieved.

Ashley studied their surroundings. She frowned. They were too exposed… but then again they were waiting for a shuttle, right? It did look like some kind of platform for shuttles, after all. Wearily, she took a peek to the world below. Far, far down there, much to her fears, was the Presidium lake… that was one hell of a fall.

"Why isn't the shuttle here?" Sparatus, ever the grumpy turian, demanded to know.

"I- I don't know" Senna frowned, her purple face scrunched with confusion. She activated her omni-tool. "Senna to the Destiny Ascension, where is our pick-up?" Nothing. "Senna to the Destiny Ascension, do you read? Destiny Ascension, do you read?"

"We are being jammed" Kaher stated. Ashley wasn't so sure about that. Maybe the Destiny Ascension had been destroyed, or the communication relay had been captured and was being… yeah, never mind, jammed it was.

Senna sighed, frustrated. "Spectre Senna to C-Sec headquarters, respond".

"Here C-Sec headquarters, reading you loud and clear" Bailey's voice echoed across the platform.

It was good to hear a friendly voice. However… was it Ashley's imagination or was the commander sounding chirpier than usual? He sounded almost thrilled, or excited. Whatever the reason, Ashley was deeply unnerved.

"Are you at the evacuation point yet?" Bailey asked. Ashley raised an eyebrow. That didn't sound like something that would be part of protocol. She wasn't the only one to look suspiciously at the omni-tool. Tiranne too seemed suddenly unnerved. Ashley and the turian female Spectre traded weary looks, before she turned around and went to stand near the bridge connecting the Presidium to the platform.

"Headquarters, what is the Destiny Ascension's status?" Senna asked, ignoring the question.

"Ah, so you are in position" Bailey chuckled. "Don't worry, Senna dear, a friend of mine -" the transmission cracked, the voice changing into that of a woman. Ashley's eyes widened "- will tend to you".

"URGH!" Ashley snapped her head at Tiranne, who flinched, freezing in a posture of utmost pain and suffering… as a sword pierced her from below her face up her skull. The air flickered and shifted, exposing a once cloaked figure.

Humanoid, crouching and holding the handle of the sword, it stared at Ashley. Its mask was similar to the Recon Hood Shepard had once favoured but there was something… eerie about it. Perhaps it was the fact this person was an assassin? The black clothing of his was not exactly military grade either, far from Shepard's infiltration armour. Regardless, it did appear to be enough for cloaking and assassination. Before Ashley could react the assassin drew a gun with his other hand and shot Kaher in the head with perfect precision.

Senna rushed in front of the Councillors, guns blazing, as the four politicians hurried backwards, distancing themselves from the assassin. Ashley, broken off her stupor, raised her gun and tried to shoot the bastard… only for him to disappear as he cloaked.

"Blast!" Senna swore next to Ashley. How where they supposed to fight an invisible enemy like this? Senna sprayed the air in front of them with bullets, in a wide arc. It didn't hit anything. "Where is – URGH!"

Ashley reacted too slowly as she felt the butt of a gun smash her head and sent her backwards, straight to the hard floor. She felt the world spin around her. Hissing in pain, she blinked, trying to stand up. Wait, where was her gun? Ashley, panicking, knelt up and turned around, only to feel a kick in the gut. Ashley managed to stand up, holding her stomach, gritting her teeth in pain.

The assassin was in front of her, fully exposed, and all she had on her was her skimpy stupid Alliance uniform. She hated mini-skirts…

"Wh-who are you?" Vallern asked, trembling.

The Assassin, standing calmly there with a blade soaked in Asari blood, turned to the Councillors. Ashley took the opportunity to strike, running forward – her rage blinding her from her pain. She tried to punch the assassin, only for him to lean back at an impossible angle and respond with a punch of his own. Ashley stepped back, her chin in pain and probably broken. But the Assassin didn't stop there, he proceeded to smash Ashley's face in and then, grabbing both sides of her head quickly, brought it down to kneecap her stomach.

The Lieutenant Commander fell to the ground like a sack of bricks, numb with pain. She tasted blood in her mouth and the bitter taste of defeat.

"Please, we'll give you ten times as much as you were promised!" Sparatus exclaimed.

The assassin started spinning his blade, standing there and glaring impassively at the Councillors.

"Before you kill us" Tevos said with a rather serene façade. Her calm and collected exterior didn't betray a hint of the fear and terror within. "Could you give us your name?" She inquired. The Assassin didn't answer… but didn't raise his gun either. "It wouldn't be much asking to ask for a reason as well, would it? I rather know that before I greet the Goddess, you see…"

Ashley must have been too confounded for she could have sworn she heard the Asari Councillor ask for her soon-to-be murderer his name for some ridiculous reason… then again, all she could do at the moment was groan in agony. Why was the Assassin hesitating? Was he actually considering such request?

He then gave a step towards them, making them gasp and step back, terrified. The assassin stopped spinning his blade and crouched, ready to strike. His sword tingled in the wind as light caught in its shiny edge, while the white gun on the other hand was ready for the kill.

"Stop!"

The assassin, startled, turned around, where none other than Commander Shepard, with two companions, hurried to him, guns blazing. The human had his assault rifle trained on his person, and his hesitance was understandable. The Council was, after all, standing behind the Assassin. If the stranger managed to dodge at least one bullet, Shepard would be the one to kill the Councillors.

Shepard noticed the groaning form of Ashley, clearly enraging the Commander. The assassin straightened up, staring at the Commander.

"I feared your determination would lead us to this situation" the assassin said.

The Commander visibly froze. While his face was hidden behind his visor, the assassin knew there was a face of horror and disbelief there. Suddenly, Kasumi and Zaeed's betrayal were forgotten…

"No… not you too" Shepard whispered, lowering his weapon ever so slightly "Thane…"

"Commander" Thane nodded at the human. He carried a heavy aura around him. The drell knew rather well what he was doing… and the impact it had on Shepard.

"Why?" Shepard asked, still unable to believe what he was seeing. His body was numb and his mind was slowly spinning. It was as if the universe had stopped making sense…

"I apologize, Commander, but I can't offer you the explanation you seek" Thane replied.

"Why not? Why are you doing this? Did Cerberus promise to heal your disease or – or do they have Kolyat hostage…?" Shepard fought hard, trying to find a reasonable explanation for this situation. Nothing came to mind. Nothing. Only more questions… and the feeling of betrayal.

"No, Commander – those are not my reasons" Thane calmly answered, making the Commander more desperate.

"Then why?! Wh-Why are you trying to kill the Council?!" Shepard roared, rage in his voice. "What the hell happened to you?!"

"Commander" Thane said, soothingly calm. "Do you believe the Council, or the Alliance, will be able to stop the Reapers?"

Silence. Liara and James, and even the Councillors, slowly turned their heads as Shepard, enthralled by the conversation. The fact Shepard wasn't answering was disturbing for the people present.

"Commander, after what you witnessed on Tuchanka, who do you think has the greatest odds of stopping the Reapers? Of taking control of this war? The Council… or Cerberus?" Thane pressed on.

Silence. The spectators of the conversation were starting to get really worried as the Commander had yet to reply.

"Shepard…" Liara whispered, concerned.

Shepard glanced at her before shuffling uneasy on his feet.

"There it is your answer, Commander" Thane offered, sounding triumphant. "I fight for the future of my son, Commander, and I know you fight for the opportunity to have a son of your own. It is still not too late for you".

"Then join us!" Shepard exclaimed, before Thane dared to ask the same. "If Cerberus were to stop trying to be the kings of the hill and were to work together, the Reapers would stand no chance!"

"Sorry, Commander, that won't be possible" Thane sighed, apologetically.

"Thane… why are you doing this? What do you gain by trying to kill the Council? By God, Thane, this is getting extremely confusing" Shepard murmured.

"I apologize for this… but it has to be done. I hope to one day be able to explain all of this – perhaps with some drinks" Thane sounded hopeful… and resigned.

"Thane… please, don't make me kill you" Shepard warned as he glared down at Thane, rage flooding his bloodstream.

Thane lowered his head, slowly getting back into position. Everyone stiffened.

"Kalahira... guide me" and then he vanished, invisible to the world.

Everyone gasped, except Shepard, who gave on powerful battle cry before giving an inhuman leap and kicked the air. There was a loud thud and Thane appeared in a haze of lights, flying across the platform and falling on the metal surface just near the border. Shepard rushed to the drell's position, having dropped his gun and engaging in hand to hand: Shepard's flaring Omni-Blade against the assassin's ringing sword.

Thane swung his blade, but Shepard slapped it aside and, with his elbow, hit the drell. The Commander tried to kick Thane, but the drell recovered all too quickly and dodged. Shepard followed with a stab, which once again the assassin managed to avoid. Thane took the opportunity and, using his own elbow, struck the out-stretched limb. The Commander yelled in pain as his omni-tool was deactivated, his hand stretching out and releasing its control on the device. The human didn't get chance to recover as Thane proceeded to strike Shepard's face with his palm.

Just when it seemed Thane had the upper-hand, Shepard dodged a precise strike to his neck and head-butted the drell – a deafening CLAK echoing across the air. Thane faltered, stepping back as he tried to regain his senses. Shepard lunged forward, ready to press on. However, the assassin, still recovering, sent Shepard flying with a bout of his biotics. The assassin then turned to the Councillors and drew his gun – almost in desperation - ready to kill them all, only for a biotic field to wrap around Thane and send him flying backwards… into air. Thane bounced a couple of times on the platform, before he vanished at the edge of the platform and down towards his death.

Shepard's eyes widened. "Thane!" He cried, rushing to the platform, shocked he had been thrown at a side. He looked down and… nothing. Thane wasn't there. Shepard frowned, confused.

"Wow, nice one Blue- damn, I mean, he stood there and you then you sent him flying" James laughed, relieved, as he approached Shepard. Liara calmly walked next to the large man, wringing an arm with embarrassment at the praise.

Shepard stood still, ignoring the Lieutenant. Something wasn't right. He snapped his head towards Liara, making her wince, probably preparing herself to be berated. She did not expect Shepard to charge at her and… punch someone behind her.

Thane rolled backwards, materializing. He shook his head, a bit disoriented, before snapping his head at Shepard.

"Shit!" James cried out, tripping over and falling on his butt as he shuffled to bring his shotgun back into action.

"There they are!"

Shepard and company turned their heads to the bridge to the shuttle-platform, where a whole army of C-Sec soldiers, clad in heavier armour and sporting assault rifles, charged in.

"Halt!"

Thane didn't wait. He turned around and started running to the other end of the platform.

"Stop!" The leader of the incoming C-Sec, shouted. It was in vain, as Thane vanished just as he jumped downwards.

Shepard stood there, rigid, as he saw his friend jump to certain death. The entire platform was swarmed by C-Sec officers. Just when they surrounded the Councillors, a familiar shuttle shot out from below. The Commander stared at it, spotting a familiar mercenary aiding the assassin onto his feet. Both Zaeed and Thane locked their gazes with the staring Shepard. Something passed between them – a promise of a future encounter, for better or for worse – before speeding away.

"On the ground, now!" The leader of the C-Sec officers ordered to Shepard. The Commander took a bit too long to react before he was punch in the head and forced to the floor by two burly turians.

"Shepard!" Liara exclaimed, surprised, before she too was forcibly pushed to the ground.

"Hey, hey! Ouch, watch it!" James protested, struggling against a salarian and an asari. They proceed to punch him in the stomach, all struggle vanishing as James fell on his knees.

"Are you alright, Councillors?" the leader of the newcomers asked Tevos.

"Yes, officer… we are alright" Tevos replied, sighing with relief.

"Damn you, Shepard"

Every head turned towards Udina, who stood dangerously near the end of the platform.

"Councillor Udina, please, what are you doing?" One of the C-Sec officers asked.

Shepard, however, was too emotionally exhausted to care. He looked at the man, who appeared to glare at him, considering suicide by the looks of it.

"Udina…" Tevos said.

"Don't do this" A C-Sec officer pleaded.

"We were so close… we could have changed the direction of this war for good… but no, you needed to play the hero" Udina ranted, angry. "Now thanks to you, Earth is doomed. I hope you enjoy the company of these aliens over that of your fellow humans. See you in Hell, you son of a bitch".

And before anyone could jump in and intervene, Udina leaned far back and allowed gravity to do the rest, sending himself to the abysm below.

* * *

.

 **Author Note: I apologize for the long Chapter, but I just couldn't bring myself to cut the action once it was started.**

 **Other than that, here it is, Part II of the story. The next chapter might come out in some time, so I apologize for the delay.**

 **Please, review and tell me what you think of the story thus far.**


	14. PII CII Welcome to the Normandy

**Chapter II: Welcome to the Normandy**

Shepard felt like his life had suddenly gone down the drain. He looked into his bare hands, studying the glowing orange veins, blankly lost in the nebulous and tempestuous realm that was his mind, drowned in thoughts. All around him, there was only pitch darkness of his cell. How long had he been forced into this containment area? With only a bed, a toilet and a sink, Shepard could barely understand how or when everything had gone this badly.

Well, Shepard knew the Council would have chopped off his head eventually after his little mission on Tuchanka, with the whole killing dozens of STGs and all. And then there was that of the cure for the genophage, which Shepard doubted was something the Council would have approved of. Add a few damning reports about his former crewmates all seen with the Cerberus insignia and Shepard having visited them before, and Shepard had pretty much lost his case.

The Commander sighed, closing his eyes. It was weird being stuck there with nothing to do except exercise his body, trapped with the company of his inner musings. Perhaps the most torturous aspect of the confinement was not just knowing the Reapers were somewhere out there, Indoctrinating and harvesting millions, but he that he was stuck in there, a situation not much alike the one a few months prior on Earth. That and being lost with his own thoughts for too long. A man once said that if you stared into the void for too long, it would stare back. Shepard felt the same with his thoughts. It was a down spiraling mess.

Questions and memories haunted Shepard. Seeing Kasumi Goto, the gossipy and kind thief that loved a good chatter, Zaeed Massani, the gruff and tough man with more scars than those in his skin, and Thane, the calm and philosophical assassin, all working for Cerberus… Shepard felt at a loss. What was he supposed to think? How could he rationalize his friends' - former friends' - betrayal? They had worked together to stop a great evil, and now they were pretty much playing the part themselves? To think Wrex and Mordin all might be working with Cerberus…

Shepard should have confronted Wrex about the Thannar Missiles, question him about their real origins, as well as the missile silos. Shepard wasn't an idiot. There was no way the Krogan could have procured such missiles and constructed many functional bases in such a short time without external aid. All evidence pointed at one direction: Wrex was working with Cerberus, as was Mordin. Hackett had said as much… yet it had never settled within Shepard. A part of him was still in denial, or merely tried to oversee that fact.

Hadn't it been suspicious on Sur'Kesh that the Cerberus troops didn't bother with the containment cell console, the mechanisms or anything of the sort? No, they were more worried on one thing: killing salarians and crippling the Salarian Union espionage capabilities – much of which were focused on the Krogan, one might add. Heck, the timing had been almost perfect. The difference between Wrex and Thane was obvious: Wrex had gone to Cerberus for convenience and desperation, and one might even argue that perhaps the Illusive Man went to the Krogan and striked a deal of convenience between both parties. Thane, on the other hand… Shepard couldn't fully comprehend what had gone through the assassin's head to actually join Cerberus.

"So you went and did it" a gruff voice echoed across the darkness around the cell.

Shepard looked up, his glowing red eyes piercing into the shadows. His keen ears caught the faint sound of footsteps approaching the glass windows of his cell.

"What in God's name where you thinking Shepard?" The voice carried on, getting louder.

Shepard stared dead ahead, where he saw the silhouette of a man approaching.

"Curing the Genophage… never thought I'd see the day" Admiral Hackett grunted as he stepped out of the pitch blackness and towards the light.

Shepard raised an eyebrow, impassive, as he noticed the cigarette on the man's mouth. The Admiral did look like he had seen better days. Still, he remained as dangerous as ever. With a haze of smoke enveloping the man's form, the man held an aura that spoke of restlessness and conflict.

"Those scars look nastier up close" Hackett commented offhandedly, taking a mouthful of smoke. He exhaled a large cloud of grey, enjoying the poisonous substances he had inhaled.

Shepard was emotionally numb to even bother feeling anything. The last days had been too confusing and stressing for him. A part of him was curious to know what the Admiral was doing there in the flesh, almost hopeful. The rest of him just didn't care. At this point, it might all be lost.

The two men remained quiet, one sitting morosely on the bed, the second man at the other side of the thick glass standing with a lit cigarette. Both of them fought for humanity and had sworn the same oath to the Alliance. They shared values and ideals, and pretty much stood for the same thing… and yet, there they were, one imprisoned whilst the other roamed free.

"And here I thought you would be eager to talk" Hackett remarked gruffly. "You've got nothing to say?"

"What happened to my crew?" Shepard asked, his throat hoarse for lack of use. This was probably the first time he spoke in days, if days had actually passed by. "Or my ship?"

Hackett took his time to respond, impassively entertained by Shepard's glare as he stalled. "They are fine, free and fully reinstated to the Normandy, waiting for their captain" Hackett grunted. "As for the Normandy… it is locked safely in one of the Alliance docks, resupplied and ready to go".

Shepard raised an eyebrow while his heart clenched painfully. "Who's going to be the new captain?" He hesitantly asked.

"Why you ask Shepard? I thought you were still the captain of it" Hackett sourly quipped.

Shepard frowned, confused. "Wait… you are letting me go?"

"No, I'm sending you on a mission" the Admiral scoffed. His face, however, softened up, revealing a tiredness that had eluded the man's visage. "You didn't actually think I would just leave you there to rot, did you?"

There was a long awkward moment in which Shepard lowered his gaze, despondent. Hackett frowned, bewildered, by that.

"I actually did" Shepard sighed.

"And perhaps for good reason" the Admiral rebutted, scrunching his face with an admonishing glare. "The Council is pissed, Shepard. Hadn't you saved them from a painful death and stopped Cerberus from taking over entirely, you might have been sent to some cold world and spent the rest of your days picking ice – and that's the best case scenario. As it is, they've decided on simply receding your Spectre status".

Shepard's eyebrows shot up, surprised, as he snapped his head to look at the amused Admiral. He really hadn't expected to get off that easy. Then again, he did save the Council again. Why he was even imprisoned? He should be praised and congratulated, not locked up the way he did… or, well, yeah the Council DID have more than one reason to want Shepard's imprisonment.

"And that is only temporary" Hackett finished saying, surprising Shepard even more.

"Alright, how did I go from locked up like a criminal to back to Commander and Spectre?" Shepard inquired, squinting at the Admiral.

"I know this looks bad, but need I remind you that C-Sec security was fed false information about you being aligned with Cerberus? The Council needed to make sure that you were not aiding Cerberus in any matter, especially after some of your former crewmates were identified as Cerberus" Hackett remarked.

"Wait, I didn't know that about C-Sec… Bailey didn't say something?" Shepard frowned, confused.

"Oh, he did – but by then every C-Sec station in the Citadel had been given the order to shoot at you on sight. Some kind of VI fed a lot of false reports into C-Sec data streams. We believe it was that Cerberus spy, Kasumi Goto" Hackett said. "As thankful as the Council was for saving their lives, up until you showed up, they had actually believed you were in cahoots with the Illusive Man – and it was hard to disagree with them on that".

"I can see why" Shepard sighed, shaking his head.

"Anyone with two eyes and a brain could easily link you to Cerberus" Hackett scoffed, starting to pace soberly from side to side as he spoke. "Just take a look at yourself. You are barely human as it is. Most of your body is rigged with extreme cybernetic implants. You literally worked with a Cerberus crew on Cerberus provided resources to stop the Collectors and, after that, handed over all that technology to Cerberus. And now this…"

"What did you want me to do? Hand over the base to the Alliance?" Shepard grunted. "You weren't doing anything to prepare for the Reapers, much less the Collectors!"

"So you gave all that power, all that technology, to a terrorist organization?" Hackett rebuffed, squinting at Shepard with a dangerous glint on his eyes.

"Cerberus is many things, but a terrorist organization isn't one of them" Shepard snorted. "And yes, I rather that technology got in the hands of a megalomaniac with delusions of grandeur rather than incompetent supra-government that can barely tie its shoelaces. At least I know the technology will be used, more than I could say if it fell in the hands of the Alliance".

Hackett sighed, exasperated, as he stopped pacing. The old man groaned bitterly as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

"I agree" Hackett conceded with great reluctance. "And I understand where you are coming from. We are both soldiers we took a vow to protect humanity. We lost friends and comrades. We went through fires and steel, always charging against the enemies of mankind… And the politicians repay us with greed and incompetence, with blinded political correctness and stupidity… but does it justify siding with an organization that is the complete opposite? Ruthless and unregulated, held under the influence of one man and one man alone, hell bent on progress without taking one second to consider the 'should' before the 'could'".

"Will it even matter?" Shepard rebutted. "I am loyal to the Alliance, Admiral, and I rather if the Alliance could stand up on its own feet for once and face this challenge".

"And we are getting there" Hackett reassured the Commander. "Right now, we are seizing Cerberus colonies and settlements, sabotaging their operations across their systems and capturing everything for us".

"That won't help us against the Reapers in the long run" Shepard remarked. "Without Earth, Humanity is a mere shell of itself. No amount of colonies will ever replace Earth".

"Yes, we know that" the Admiral gruffly huffed. "However, hetting Cerberus out of the picture will at least be helpful – that and those new resources will be useful for the Crucible" Hackett retorted. "We've already began construction and we will finish it, Commander – right now though, humanity needs allies".

"What about the Council?" Shepard wondered.

And here, the Commander realized that he might have missed one too many things during his short imprisonment. The Admiral released a long, winded sigh, the sigh of a man who had been mauled over by politics. Hackett stood for a moment, eyes closed, as he mustered some semblance of peace. When he spoke, it was with a saddened and sobered tone that said a lot about the current situation.

"After Udina's coup, the Council has decided that humanity is too unstable at the moment. Can't say I blame them: with Cerberus and the Alliance clashing over what remains of humanity, who could take either side seriously? Their promises are more token words than anything at this point, now more than ever. What little good will we garnered has been blown into the wind. We have nothing to promise back, no position of strength to offer confidence in our future and even less the stability to prove we won't shoot them in the back. That and we both know that as soon as their world starts burning all bets will be off" Hackett explained.

"Admiral, all species have worlds of their own" Shepard remarked. "None will sacrifice their fleets until they make sure their worlds won't fall for the Reapers".

"That's why I want you to meet with the one species that currently doesn't have a home-world" Hackett declared "and I am not talking about the Batarians".

Shepard frowned, before his eyes widened. For a moment of shock, he felt like he had been punched in the gut. "The Q-Quarians?" he asked, shocked.

Hackett nodded and Shepard's heart skipped a beat. They were… alive and well? He had thought they had gone through the Perseus Veil and got themselves killed! Or were these the survivors seeking asylum and help? Shepard gulped at the horrible possibility.

"They've contacted the Alliance a day ago" Hackett informed the Commander. "They want to talk with us – or rather… you. They were oddly specific, and wouldn't take no for an answer – something in the lines of only trusting you".

"That's… good" Shepard slowly nodded, still reeling with the news.

"I'd would say convenient" scoffed the old man. "However, I'll take anything I can get" he wearily added.

"Did- did they say what they want?" The Commander wondered, his mouth dry. His heart drummed painfully on his chest.

"No" Hackett bluntly replied. "I suppose that task will fall on your shoulders".

"I… I try" Shepard nodded, worried.

"Get them on board our cause. We could use them as it is" Hackett sighed. "Hopefully, they will not ask for something too extreme in exchange".

"Do we have any information on why they disappeared in the first place?" Shepard wondered.

"Nothing, although you'll have the opportunity to ask them" Hackett huffed. "Come on, Commander, let's get you back to your ship".

"Just like that?" Shepard blinked at the old man, surprised.

"Yes" Hackett irritably grunted. "The sooner you get your ship with its blasted secrets out of the Citadel, the better".

"So no one-" Shepard started asking, only to be interrupted.

"Discovered you had an unshackled AI, a living Prothean and God-Knows-What else? No, I made sure of that" Hackett declared confidently. "I think that you are neck-deep in trouble as it is" he muttered.

Shepard stood up, smiling. Finally, good news. But why was he so… nervous all of a sudden? And why had the Quarians all of a sudden decide to reappear? That didn't bode well.

* * *

Commander Shepard walked out of the Normandy's elevator with a grin on his face. It felt good being back at home, on his beloved ship. He couldn't help feeling somewhat elated after leaving that god-awful prison. Still, he couldn't shake the unease of meeting with the quarians after all this time. What if these were survivors of a conflict with the Geth? What if Tali had died? Those questions were certainly haunting him at the moment.

Shepard shook his head, trying to clear his head. He was back, fully recovered and ready for action. Now he had to focus on his crew and make his rounds, checking the Alliance hadn't done anything stupid while he was imprisoned. As it was, Shepard already had the first person he was going to meet in mind: Garrus and James. Apparently, those two had insisted on at least having a celebratory drink on the Port Observation. Hopefully they weren't too drunk.

"Commander!" James exclaimed happily.

Shepard froze dead on his feet, surprised, at the group at the Port Observation. These weren't just Garrus and James. The entire ground team, plus EDI, Cortez and Traynor, where there, all drinking and having fun. All sofas and benches had been moved into a circle, surrounding a coffee table covered with small platters and glasses. One platter was covered with a plastic transparent box that had a sign that read: "Dextro" in what Shepard assumed was Turian.

"Huh… what's the occasion?" Shepard raised an eyebrow at the group.

"If I remember correctly, you did promise us drinks" Liara, with a teasing smile, pointed out. "Moreover, we believed that our victories on Tuchanka and the cure of the Genophage deserved a bit more… festiveness".

"Like Blue says, Commander. We expected something before we left, y'know?" James nodded, waving an open can of beer. He paused, too study Shepard's face. "Damn, Loco, those scars are nasty".

"I aim to please" Shepard rolled his head, disgruntled. To think he had a pending meeting with Chakwas… oh, joy…

"Hey, you look like that guy from that movie…" Traynor pointed out with a smile. She nudged Cortez next to her, who was busy picking some nuts on the table at the middle of the gathering.

"Yeah, yeah, you are right! Esteban you saw those ones. I remember" James, excited, joined in.

Steve hummed, leaning forward to squint at Shepard. His eyes then widened. "Yeah… what was his name? It was weird, Austrian or something".

"Sasquashynigger?" James suggested.

"No… wait, it was similar – it is in the tip of my tongue" Cortez clicked his fingers. "That's it: Arnold Schwarzenegger – yeah, the Terminator! The original movies! God those are ancient!"

Garrus, who had been drinking calmly next to Nyreen from a glass, chocked on his drink, much to the female's surprise. "Is that a real human name?" He asked, chuckling.

Liara giggled at the actor's name, finding it funny. Shepard folded his arms and shook his head, a hidden smile gracing his face.

"Ha, no wonder you dig EDI then" James pointed out.

It was Liara's turn to choke on her drink. "W-what?" She spluttered, confused.

"Hey, you didn't know? The man here has been having fun with our resident android" James carried on.

Shepard sighed, exasperated. Beating James again suddenly sounded like an awesome idea. How the beefy marine had found out about that was anyone's guess.

"Is- is it true?" Liara mumbled, shocked, staring at Shepard.

"You should not take notice of Lieutenant Vega's inebriated banter, Dr T'soni" EDI said from behind Shepard. She smiled at the doctor, taking a sip from her drink. "He has been involved in the recent disappearance of our Tequila ordinance, after all".

Cortez sprayed the people around with beer as he was caught by surprise by the statement. He turned to a sheepish looking James, furious. Meanwhile, Shepard turned to EDI, an eyebrow raised. He hadn't expect her to lie for him. She simple widened her smile and winked at him. The Commander turned around. EDI was way too good at playing the organic. She was inside, as he had to remind himself repeatedly, an infiltration unit after all.

"You son of a bitch!" Steve yelled. "It was you!"

Ashley laughed her butt off at that. "I missed this" she remarked. "Hey, EDI, how come you are… well… drinking?" She asked, trying not to sound offensive.

"This body was repurposed for infiltration purposes. Thus, it is able to consume liquids and food and excrete them through systems analogous to organic ones in order to better mimic human behaviour" EDI explained with the same warm smile as before. It was creepy the way she could keep it without changing for long periods of time.

"You can pee and poo?" James asked, something which made Shepard pinch the bridge of his nose, frustrated. Garrus was coughing his lungs out, as he was caught laughing while eating something. Ashley wasn't any better. Nyreen, like Liara, sent a scrunched grimace at James with disgust.

"Negative. That would imply I can assimilate the food that is consumed, which is not the case" EDI indulged the Lieutenant.

"Hey, what other things can that body do?" Traynor wondered, blushing.

"Having naughty thoughts, Communication specialist?" Ashley teased, wiggling her eyebrow. Said specialist's face reddened even more.

"Naughty thoughts?" Nyreen wondered, tilting her head. "As in sexual fantasies?" Traynor's face looked like it could blow up at any moment from blood overflow. The female turian blinked, bewildered. "Why would a human female have such for another female human?" She asked.

"It is a societal and behavioural condition seen in humans in which individuals of one sex will be attracted to those of the same sex" EDI clarified. Nyreen scrunched her face again, disgusted. Garrus too seemed like he had lost his appetite. The android turned her head to James.

"So you suffer from that disease?" Nyreen bluntly asked Traynor.

"It is not a disease" Liara interceded, uncomfortable. "It is like…"

"Like a human wanting to have sex with a turian" James interceded. "Crazy, and to some freaky, but hey, to each its own".

Nyreen's mandibles flapped with annoyance. "Like that could happen. What could a human see in a turian to find him or her attractive?" She rebutted.

"I don't know, Nyreen, you have beautiful eyes" Shepard teased with a smirk.

Nyreen shuddered, yet also looking flustered. The team laughed at that.

"Well, take a look at Shepard. He likes banging Quarians" James stated, receiving a slap on the back of his head by Steve. "Hey! What was that for?"

"Do you want him to kick your butt again?" Cortez hissed.

"Yeah, but you have to admit that quarians are…" Ashley was saying, pausing "ehm… perfectly human in the right parts". Her cheeks immediately gained a pink shade to them while everyone stared at her.

"And how do you know exactly?" Traynor sent a smug look at female marine. Ashley didn't deign to answer the question. Her face, on the other hand, responded with a new intense burning-scarlet shade.

"If I may" EDI stepped ahead, surprising the others. They all turned their heads at her as she moved to a side, a glass on her hand. "I offer a toast".

There was a moment of pregnant silence, riddled with awkwardness and discomfort. EDI, being the artificial construct she was, didn't seemed either deterred or affected by the uncomfortable glances shared by the team. Shepard, though, didn't really understand why that was a bad idea or what had brought about all the discomfort… then again, it was probably odd to toast with an android and aliens, at least for a human.

"Yes, let's" Shepard stepped ahead, with a grin. It was a good idea. "Traynor, would you pass me a glass?"

The Communication Specialist did just that while the team all stood up. Garrus and Nyreen followed suit, confused. Liara too seemed a bit out of her depth with what was going on. Shepard internally groaned. It wasn't supposed to be this awkward. As usual, the Commander took the lead. With a firm glance, he gave the silent order to the gathered humans. Although reluctant, they all got to their feet, rather solemnly, with drinks in their hands.

Liara and the two turians followed their example, albeit strangely awkward about it all. They had never, after all, witnessed such a tradition. Shepard regretted it had never been done, something so simple yet nice. Then again, so many other things had been left undone…

"I wish to toast for our victory on Tuchanka" EDI said with a rather warm smile. "I would like to add that it has been an honour to serve amongst organics, even though perhaps the ability to feel either pride or satisfaction eludes me. It's hard to explain that which I cannot experience, yet I can say without a doubt that even I, who lacks a beating heart or pumping blood, can be any less impressed and awed by the courage, spirit and determination of the people gathered here".

Shepard had to give it to EDI: she did know how to make a touching speech. By the looks of it, the Commander wasn't the only one impressed. Liara and Ashley had smiles of their own, touched by her words, while James seemed surprisingly humbled. Traynor… Traynor had a strangely furtive look on her eyes that Shepard would rather ignore. Garrus was rather bemused while Nyreen was trying, and failing, not to look perplexed.

"A long path awaits all of us. Regardless, with you by my side, I believe we shall be triumphant" EDI concluded, rising her glass. What Shepard was definitely not expecting was for her to turn her head at him and, with what might have been a cheerful smile, add "I believe nothing is truly impossible without you, Commander".

To say Shepard was flustered by that last bit would have been an understatement. It did have the added effect of earning a round of chuckles and "Hear, hear" from the gathered humans responded.

"A toast, for Shepard!" James exclaimed, surprising Shepard even further. He was grinning at the Commander. "For the most badass Commander in the Galaxy!"

This time, even Liara and the two turians joined in the "hear, hear", slowly starting to understand the small human tradition. By that point, they were amused, and smiling. While Shepard had hoped to clink glasses, he did feel like a weight have been pulled off his shoulders as they all drunk down their glasses and returned to their seats – or in case of Shepard and EDI, actually find seats.

"Interesting tradition" Nyreen hummed to Garrus.

"I like it" the former C-Sec detective commented.

"I think we forgot to toast for the whole Genophage cure debacle" Traynor said loud enough for everyone to hear. "I mean, that was making history in by itself!"

"I don't know" Nyreen morosely looked at Traynor, her mandibles flapping slowly. "Was it the correct decision, Commander?" She asked Shepard. "The Krogan don't exactly have the most peaceful culture in the galaxy. We don't need to fight another war against them".

"We cannot judge the people of the present for the maybes of tomorrow" Shepard shrugged. "The genophage has gone on long enough, and the least that can be done is give the Krogan another chance – at least to prove us wrong".

"That might be costly" Nyreen grumbled.

"Perhaps" Shepard sighed. "But you can't deny that we are going to need the Krogan, whether we like it or not… and I rather have a happy War-Lord that leads a horde of angry Krogan owing me big time than a bitter, vengeful one".

"He does have a point there" Garrus hummed with approval.

"It isn't like they could do much anyway" Steve threw his two cents in. "I mean, how many are there left? We humans are more numerous than Krogan, and we are the most recent species".

"Damn!" Ashley exclaimed, surprised. "Really? It is THAT bad?"

"What's the current situation on Tuchanka, though?" Shepard suddenly asked. "I have been out of the loop".

"Not much happened" James shrugged at the Commander.

"Vega is right, Shepard. Things have been rather quiet since our victory on Tuchanka. The Krogan are returning to their home-world and few remaining colonies. From what I've been told, they are now openly rearming but at the same time their focus seems to be in rebuilding Tuchanka. Still, the Council hasn't let out that the Genophage has actually been cured" Garrus explained.

"I think a lot of people might panic if that was the case" Liara remarked.

"Hey, if massive doomsday dreadnaughts didn't make the entire Galaxy panic by now, nothing will" Ashley scoffed.

"Don't be so sure about that" Shepard interceded. "The Krogan are a much more familiar boogieman to most people. The Reapers aren't. A lot of people probably don't think they actually exist, not even now".

"It's helpful that Wrex has opened negotiations with the Council" Garrus added with a turian smile on his face. "As far as I know, Wrex is trying to negotiate for some interesting investments: agricultural terra-forming, construction deals, transportation services and the kind".

"Good for him" Shepard grinned. It seemed he was right to trust the oversized Lizard after all. "That's bound to make some progress in healing old wounds".

"One can always hope" Ashley grimaced, clearly not sharing Shepard's confidence.

"So, Shepard, where are we going now?" Liara wondered.

"Ah, yes" Shepard sheepishly smiled at the beautiful asari. "I was going to debrief you afterwards, but since you are all here…" he put his glass down, as he cleared his throat. "We are off to meet the Quarians".

"The Quarians?" James blinked at Shepard, flabbergasted. "Didn't they go missing or something?"

"Yes, my latest reports indicated they had gone to fight the Geth" Liara added, frowning with confusion.

"I don't know what they've been up to. What I do know is that they want to meet up and talk – with me" Shepard carried on. "Thus, we are headed to a rendezvous point to greet them".

"I hope they have a good explanation for -" Ashley was angrily huffing, only to be interrupted by the room's door swishing open.

What really caught everyone's attention was the individual who in walked. It was, after all, someone Shepard had, much to his remorse, completely forgotten about… somehow. There, with the same stoic emotionless expression, was none other than Javik. To say Ashley was shocked at seeing the weird bug-like alien might have been an understatement.

"Javik, what are you doing here?" Shepard asked, surprised.

"I've been requesting to meet you for some time now" Javik said in fluent English, or rather Shepard's translator could now pick the Prothean language. Someone had been busy. The Prothean stood up straight, looking at the gathered group. "I assume this is a celebratory ritual of some kind? Am I interrupting some cultural event?"

Shepard snorted at the question. "Not quite, just surprised you left your room" he remarked. "Do you wish to join us? We are kind of celebrating our most recent victories against the Reapers".

"Yes, your ship's voice informed me about it" Javik replied. "It described the use of primitive weapons that somehow were able to destroy Reapers. How did you obtain such technology?"

"Let us just say I might have gone and taken down a base filled with indoctrinated agents, the Collectors" Shepard stated offhandedly.

"What the hell is that thing?!" Ashley exclaimed, terrified.

Shepard glanced at her. "Oh, I'd forgotten you weren't here. Ashley, meet Javik, our resident Prothean. Javik, Lieutenant Commander Ashley Williams… she might have been hospitalized after she took a grenade to the face".

Javik seemed surprised (at least the Prothean stoic equivalent from the Cypher's point of view). "Your species is much more resilient and strange than I was informed about" he commented.

"Wow, wow, wow" Ashley raised her hands, begging everyone to halt their conversations. "Did you say Prothean?"

"Yes, while you were in a comma we went to Eden Prime where we managed to rescue an ancient Prothean stasis-pod with Javik inside. He has been with us ever since" Liara swiftly retold, unimpressed.

"That thing" Ashley pointed at Javik. "Is a live Prothean". Her disbelief was palpable.

"Welcome back to the Normandy, Williams" Garrus declared.

"Nothing is impossible for our brave Commander, remember?" James chuckled.

"I'll leave you to have fun" Shepard told his teammates, turning to address Javik. "Come, let's discuss somewhere more private".

"I see you didn't inform your Lieutenant Commander about my presence" Javik pointed out as the two went to the elevator. "Is your government aware of my existence?"

"I… might have recently just save my government from this dark organization" Shepard sheepishly shrugged "while the Alliance has known for some while not, I don't think it was the best of times to tell the Council, not after Tuchanka". He frowned for a moment, pondering if Hackett had decided it was best to keep Javik a Normandy secret from the Council. He would have to ask the Admiral later on.

"That's the planet where you were able to defeat the Reapers" Javik recalled as they walked out of the elevator and into Shepard's cabin. The Prothean actually had to stand there, dumbfounded, for a few moments taking in the luxurious cabin. "Would I be correct to assume this is your place where you sleep?"

"We call it the Captain's cabin" Shepard replied, sitting on the sofa near the bed. "You seem surprised by it".

"It looks… wasteful" Javik commented, barely able to hide his disapproval. "The Reapers are sieging your worlds and you have enough resources to waste it in personal luxuries? A fish tank is unnecessary… unless these are meant to be edible – then it would be a questionable placement".

"No, the fish are there because Cerberus, the… oh, never mind it is a very long story I don't want to retell it" Shepard groaned. "You wanted to discuss something with me? How are you doing, by the way? You have been stuck down at the lower deck for quite some time."

"I was awoken in a time outside my own and on a ship alien to my people and culture, fully aware everything I held dear or fought for was dead or worse. I needed time to adjust and learn more about your cycle. That and your physician insisted I went through various medical examinations before I attempted anything outside my chambers" Javik stated bluntly "that female believed I could die of pathetic diseases".

"And you also needed time to teach EDI your language, apparently" Shepard added.

"Indeed" Javik curtly replied. "I find myself at an impasse on how I should judge your cycle, Com – Captain".

"No, it's Commander" Shepard corrected. "While I'm the captain of this ship, my official title remains Commander. What do you mean by that of judging my cycle?"

"Your history, your culture and societies…" Javik started saying, struggling to find the right words. "They are pathetic, weak, wasteful and decadent. And yet…"

"We are doing much better against the Reapers than your allegedly superior people" Shepard finished. "It was luck and your people gave my own the opportunity. Hadn't the Protheans not sabotaged the Keepers, or created the Conduit, we would have been dead already".

"But my people was never able to develop projectiles like your Thannar missiles. My people were unable to create deep implants through cybernetics to enhance our soldiers as yours… and that thing called 'medi-gel'… it is extremely advanced" Javik remarked. "Your people are so primitive… yet so advanced it is baffling".

"The term you are looking for is alien, Javik" Shepard sighed, tiredly rubbing his face. "You are coming across an entire new world…" he paused, thinking about what he said "kind of. Because we are of different species, we have different perspectives and histories that gave us what we have and that are bound to be different than yours".

"You do not understand" Javik declared. "In my time, we saw one truth, and one truth alone: the Galactic imperative. The strong thrive by defeating the weak. Time after time, world after world, my people understood that weakness had to be curbed out of our societies to remain strong. It was this strength that allowed us to survive centuries against the Reapers. Your time is different. The strong mingle and dilute their strength with the weak, and the weak thrive by the pity of their betters".

"The problem you have there, Javik, is what you define as strength or weakness, or who is strong or who is weak. Your vision is flawed. It is neither the strong nor the weak who thrive, but he who adapts to the circumstances best. You can be the most perfect and powerful predator in a planet, but if you can't adapt to the change of seasons or overcome a new strain of a virus, all that power in you will be rendered worthless and you will fail. If the weakest prey survives the change of seasons or the new virus, then it will survive and thrive regardless how feeble it was in comparison to the predator" Shepard explained.

Javik was certainly displeased by having his ideals challenged. It made Shepard wondered just how nice Prothean society actually was. Then again, Javik was part of the worst moment in Prothean history. It was probably expected of them to be a lot harsher.

"In our society, what you see as weakness could be tomorrow's strength. The reason we encourage meritocracy where everyone competes with everyone else is to let the ones best suited for a position thrive. In the end, everyone will find their own strength" Shepard shrugged.

"And those who are ridden with weakness?" Javik wondered.

"Well… the system kind of works it out" Shepard hummed, trying not to think about that. "But this isn't what you wanted to talk about, is it?"

"No. I wanted to convince you to let me join you in your war against the Reapers. I wish to aid you defeat the Reapers" Javik stated.

"Ehm… fine, I suppose" Shepard raised an eyebrow. Hackett had given him the liberty to do whatever he wanted with the Prothean, after all, and that included taking Javik to combat. "We will have to teach you how to use our weapons, though".

"You aren't going to restrain me into your ship?" Javik asked, sounding surprised (he still looked impassively at Shepard).

"Why would I?" Shepard scratched his head. "You might be the only walking Prothean of this time and it would be a tragedy if you die, but unless we deal with the Reapers, it would be a waste locking you up in my ship".

"Good" Javik stated.

"However, I'll like you to do a few things while you are part of my crew" Shepard told the Prothean "obligations as a crewmate, let's say".

"What would that entail?" Javik inquired, displeased.

"Mainly answering Liara's questions. As annoying as it might be, my people might benefit from learning about your history and culture" Shepard said.

"What's the purpose of such futile exercise? They are dead" the Prothean grunted.

"You must be an idiot if you think history of the past is worthless. He who doesn't learn history, is bound to repeat it – and trust me, we rather learn from someone else's idiocy than wait until it happens to us" Shepard rebutted.

"I… see the wisdom there" Javik conceded… reluctantly.

"Second, orders. You will follow every single one of them I give. I tell you to jump, you ask how high" Shepard carried on.

"That sounds stupid" Javik rebuffed, annoyed.

"You are a soldier from the wrong time, wrong place and wrong culture fighting alongside completely different militaries, strategies, doctrines and the kind and you think following the orders of someone with the experience and knowledge of your allies is stupid?" Shepard rebutted.

Javik growled at the admonishment but conceded the point regardless.

"Third and last one, socialization. You will no longer eat in your little chamber. Your food will be at the mess with everyone else" Shepard finished. He raised a hand, stopping Javik from spewing something ridiculous. "I rather people know and get familiarized by our resident Prothean instead of freaking out each time you decide you want to talk with me. It will help ease the crew and for you to adapt better to my ship".

Javik remained quiet for a moment. "Anything else?" He snorted.

"At the moment, no" Shepard shook his head. "Welcome to the Normandy, by the way".

* * *

 **Author Note: So the Rannoch story arc is coming, the one I really wanted to write about! Ha, you better prepare yourselves for what I've got planned for the Geth and Quarians on this.**

 **Yes, this chapter was short and basically all talking. After the intense first chapter I thought it would be best for some peace and quiet - that and I'm a sucker for conversations.**

 **So, what do you think so far? Any expectations? Please, I like reading your reviews if possible.**

 **I am not sure when the next chapter will be up to publish, but I am not sure it might be any time soon given how I've started a new job. I'll try to have it ready in a week if not two, but I rather no make any promises.**

 **Best wishes,**

 **The Emerald Commander**


	15. Chapter III: Reunions

**Chapter III: Reunions**

"Anything?" Shepard asked as he impatiently paced behind a growingly annoyed Joker. By this point, the Commander heavy boots were bound to have left a path behind the sarcastic pilot.

"No" Joker groaned for the umpteenth time.

The Commander didn't like this. They had arrived to their destination, the very same place Hackett had said would be the meeting place with the quarians. Yet, there was no one there… that didn't bode well for numerous reasons. However, Shepard wasn't sure what was worse. While meeting with the quarians would answer many a question the Commander had, he wasn't confident he wanted to hear the truth.

"How can that be? Check our coordinates" Shepard ordered anxiously.

"We did this how many times now?" Joker muttered, doing as told nevertheless.

"Three times" EDI replied from the co-pilot seat, working on her console. Proudly dressed in her navy Alliance uniform, she worked the role of an organic rather well. "Shepard, perhaps we should disengage our stealth systems".

"What? Like the quarians are out there waiting cloaked or something?" Joker snorted.

"The Normandy is not the only stealth system recognized officially by the Council" EDI explained. "Salarians are well versed in stealth vessels. The Normandy, however, is the first frigate of its class to be able to possess such prototype stealth systems".

"Well, Geth patrols have been spotted roaming outside of the Perseus veil" Shepard reasoned. "They could be hiding…" he hummed thoughtfully. "Alright, Joker, disengage our stealth".

"If pirates attack us I call dibs on the shuttle" Joker grumbled, typing on his console. "Done, they should detect us now".

The Commander couldn't help rolling his eyes at the pilot. The Normandy was technologically light-years ahead of anything the scum of the galaxy could ever hope to get. Moreover, Pirates weren't known to be just waiting in the middle of nowhere. However, Reapers or Geth… now that was far more worrisome.

"We've detected a vessel" EDI reported almost immediately. "Reading the ship's signature…" Shepard and Joker kept their eyes on the synthetic body, eagerly waiting for an update. "Signature obtained. The ship has not been registered to any known data-base. It's, however, matches previously detected spacecraft… it's quarian".

Shepard felt his breath hitch. Damn, EDI was right. Oh boy, this was it. He would finally get his answers… and he wasn't sure he wanted to know that badly.

"Huh, would you look at that" Joker huffed, surprised. "Our little guys have stealth systems and everything". He wearily glanced at Shepard "you don't think this is a Geth trick or anything like that, right?"

Shepard clenched his jaws. Could it actually be a trap? There was a possibility the Geth had been taken over by the Reapers, or maybe these were Heretics – the Geth internal faction that revered the Reapers as gods, the pinnacle of synthetic evolution. After not hearing anything about the Quarians, no one could deny that maybe the Heretic Geth were actually laying a trap for their number one enemy: Commander Shepard. Still, they came to meet up with Quarians. If it was a trap, then they would have some new evidence on what happened to the Quarians.

"Shepard, they are attempting to open communications" the android informed the Commander.

"Patch them through" Shepard said, somewhat uneasy.

"SSV Normandy, this is the Lyria" an accented male voice, clearly quarian, echoed across the cockpit. "Requesting permission to approach".

Joker looked at Shepard, who nodded firmly at the pilot.

"Permission granted. Maintain a linear path and current speed" Joker replied. He eyed the console in front of him with interest. Shepard did as well, but quickly looked away, dizzy. He had no idea how to read any of the many things jumping onto the holographic screens of the pilot and the way they flashed across his eyes was obnoxious.

"They don't possess any visible weapons, Commander" EDI reported.

"Check energy signatures. They could be preparing to-" Joker immediately said, only to be interrupted.

"Energy signatures stable" EDI stated. "Their shields have been lowered".

"Doesn't look like a trap" Shepard slowly murmured.

"Yeah, because I bet all traps just look like traps to everyone" Joker muttered in response.

"Permission to board your ship" the Lyria's pilot said.

"State the size and ranks of the boarding party" Shepard commanded.

"The Admiralty Board, consisting of five Admirals – plus two guards" the quarian replied.

Shepard crossed his arms. "Permission granted" he said, turning around towards the air-lock. Behind him, he could hear Joker working in a frenzy, doing who-knows-what. Garrus and James stood there, bored, fully clad in their armours and with their weapons. Shepard too was ready for the worst.

"Finally" James exclaimed. "What took your time, Loco? Your girlfriend didn't pick up or somethin'?"

"You keep that attitude and I'll be cleaning the floor with your face" Shepard impassively told the Lieutenant, who paled and gulped behind his helmet, much to Garrus amusement. "The quarians apparently have learned a few new tricks… they are on some kind of stealth vessel of their own" the Commander added.

"Do you think…?" Garrus trailed off, hesitant.

"What?" Shepard raised an eyebrow behind his visor. Hopefully, the new shaded material would block the glower of his red eyes… at least make so that it wasn't as creepy as before.

"Tali studied both the original Normandy and this one. She could have obtained the schematics to the Tantalus cores and our stealth systems" Garrus remarked.

"If she did, good for her" Shepard shrugged.

"Shepard, those were top secret engine designs" Garrus pointed, surprised at Shepard's nonchalant attitude.

"I know – but I trust Tali, Garrus" Shepard replied. "I doubt she would betray my trust that way".

"Are you sure?" Garrus grumbled. "She has always put her people first. She might be your mate, Shepard, but she is also quarian".

Shepard sighed. "What do you want me to do, Garrus? Interrogate her? Blow up every Quarian ship that has stealth systems? You do know I'm here to get quarian support, don't you? If there wasn't a massive fleet of sentient dreadnaught indoctrinated my entire species back on my home world, I might be a bit more worried or caring about this but… you know, I'll have to let this one pass – IF it is as you suggest."

Garrus remained quiet, understanding Shepard's stance now. "I see…" he nodded.

"Don't worry, I will talk about this to Tali" Shepard reassured his turian friend. Garrus DID have a point, after all, and it would be wrong for the Commander to dismiss it. Then again, as much as he feared to think about it, there might not be a chance for that discussion with Tali…

"Locks engaged" EDI interrupted them. "Sterilization protocols engaged".

Shepard stiffened. Here it was, the moment of truth had come. From the corner of his eyes he noticed the movement coming from his left. There, a white-and-blue armoured Liara and black-plated Nyreen trotted over to them, faces hidden behind their visors.

"Took your time" James huffed.

"We were trying to get Javik to return to his chambers" Liara scoffed back. "He wasn't so… compliant".

"He must be getting tired of being stuck in the same place for so long" Garrus commented.

"He just wants to start shooting at Reapers" Nyreen grunted. "He will be a hindrance in the field…"

"Any problems?" Shepard wondered.

"Let us just say that Javik's personality is… grating" Liara sighed.

"Not what you expected?" Shepard couldn't help but grin behind his visor at the young naïve asari.

"He definitely was not anything I had envisioned" Liara huffed irritably.

"Decontamination complete. Seven quarian-lifeforms identified and fully scanned. Warning: level of threat detected. Security protocol level three suggested" EDI reported from the speakers on the ceiling.

"What does that mean?" Garrus wondered.

"That they are carrying guns with them but are either holstered or of low calibre" Shepard replied. "Open up" he told EDI.

"Understood" the AI replied. "Opening air-lock…"

With a fateful hiss, said door opened. Behind it, a second door opened, revealing a group of quarians calmly strolling over towards them. It was somewhat strange to see one of them after so long. Their tall, slim bodies, with rather human torsos and bowed-back legs were a unique sight on their own. They had three-digit hands, like the Turians, but their fingers were slimmer and definitely weren't talons – but rather more human digits. Clad on skin-tight environmental suits, each of which was adorned with colourful clothes wrapping around them, they had their faces hidden behind sealed-shut shaded visors. Made of some glass material encased on a surrounding hard metal, one could spot the eerie glow of their eyes – all faintly purple or lilac – as well as the faint silhouette of a rather human face. It was impossible to tell what laid beneath the visor, and it had been the source of a lot of speculation across the Galaxy, but from the looks of it… it was rather human.

Shepard straightened up, hands folding behind him as he studied the boarding party. He recognized Shala'Raan, Daro'Xen, Zaal'Koris and Han'Gerrel. There, behind them, was the fifth Admiral. She was… Shepard's eyes widened. He almost gasped, in shock, but managed to stay professional. The fifth Admiral was… was Tali'Zorah?

"Captain Jon'Shepard" Shala'Raan greeted with her accented voice, stopping to stand in front of said person. "We thank you for allowing us onto your ship" she pressed her two fingers over her heart. "May the Stars shine brightly on your path" she ceremoniously recited.

"May the journey be fruitful" Shepard solemny replied, responding with the same gesture. "I welcome you onto my ship, Admirals". Shala gave an approving nod. "Admirals… if you could please follow me" he added, turning to lead the quarians to the War room.

"I must say, Captain, you have quite a fine ship" Shala hummed, eyeing every inch of the Command Centre with wide eyes.

The Alliance personnel all diligently worked at their stations, or at least tried to look busy. They had guests to impress after all. Still, Shepard could spot one or two people here and there glimpsing at the odd sight – if only they could be less conspicuous. Few ever saw a quarian, much less that many. The fact these were members of the Admiralty Board, one of the ruling entities of the Quarians, and they were witnessing a rarity… then again, this was the Normandy. Rarity was the norm.

"Thank you, Admiral" Shepard replied politely. "I should add that I myself am rather surprised about your own ship… I wasn't aware your people had such advanced technology".

"It is rarely a secret" Daro'Xen nonchalantly replied, a bit too quickly one might have said.

"Behave yourself, Daro" Zaal hissed. "Don't be disrespectful to the Captain".

Shepard shook his head. Some things might never change. The team walked across the security checkpoint and into the War Room. Shepard went on one end of the circular projector, allowing for all the Admirals to take positions around it as well. Shepard's squad-mates decided to walk onto the circumventing platform, as well as the two quarian guards.

All the way to the War Room, Shepard his heard beating nervously. He was anxious. So far, it appeared things weren't as bad as he had predicted. Better yet, Tali was alive. His heart nearly skipped a beat at the thought. He could even swear he could feel her gaze boring onto the back of his head. How much he desired to get it all over with and go talk to her… but Shepard was a commander, and could be professional. He had to. For the good of humanity.

"So…" Shepard said, breaking the silence. He leant over as his palms rested on the projector, eagerly to hear his guests. "Where the hell have you lot been?" He unceremoniously added, studying each Admiral with scrutiny – including a nervous Tali.

The Admirals all traded rather hesitant looks while the spectators traded a bit more surprised look at the change of the tone. The mood had also shifted dramatically. What had started as a rather formal greeting had shifted into something rather… informal. It was understandable, given how few knew this was rather personal to Shepard.

"I gave you top-notch technology, tons of resources… and when I need you the most you vanish" Shepard folded his arms. "I never took the quarians for ingrates" he paused almost dramatically "or thieves".

"It wasn't us who got himself imprisoned by his own people" Daro, the one Shepard expected to retort first, grumbled.

"Still your tongue, Daro" Shala sighed tiredly. Shepard was surprised by the very-human expression – _then again_ , he reminded himself, _Quarians DO have tongues too – and they also use them to speak_. "Commander, I know how it all looks to you. However, there were certain developments while you were imprisoned that… complicated matters".

Shepard tried hard to fight the urge of glancing at Tali. It was still hard to believe that she was alive and well… and an Admiral by the looks of it. Way to go. However, he did need to focus on the other admirals as well. It didn't help that from the corner of his eyes he noticed her own glances. She stood stoutly and with the dignity of a military commander. And yet, there was hesitance and a familiar unease on her stance that betrayed her turmoil within. She might have been as worried of their reunion as he was.

"A war with the Geth, you mean?" Shepard scoffed.

"A war to reclaim our home-world" Han'Gerrel corrected.

"One that hasn't gone like you planned" Shepard quipped. "Let's start from the beginning, shall we? What have you been up to?"

"Fifty one standard days ago, the quarian people officially started a war against the Geth for the reclamation of Rannoch" Han'Gerrel, puffing his chest, retold. "During the first twenty days of the campaign, we managed to win territory from the Geth – pushing all of their forces back into our home-system. It was over fifteen standard days ago when we finally assaulted the system".

"That was quick" Shepard frowned, turning to Daro'Xen. "Your doing, I suppose?"

"You flatter me, Cap– Commander" the mad scientist giggled. "Yes, my scientists were able to develop a Geth countermeasure, the means with which to impede with their collective. It worked far better than we had first expected. Sadly, when…"

"Wait, let me guess" Shepard grunted, closing his eyes for a moment and fighting the urge to pinch his nose. "When you tried to attack Rannoch you found the Geth were suddenly overcoming your countermeasures as if some outside interference was aiding them with upgrades".

"Yes… how did you know?" Shala spluttered, surprised.

"It's close to the time Reapers made their appearance" Shepard bluntly stated. "And the Geth are the ideal lackeys for the Reapers. With you reducing their numbers, you probably made the Geth desperate. Between survival yet enslavement and complete annihilation, I bet this ship that they actually handed themselves over to the Reapers in exchange of upgrades. That or the Reapers bulldozed themselves onto the Geth and managed to assume control of every single one of the Geth platforms".

The quarians remained silent, unwilling to challenge the commander's claim. It was a bit awkward. When the Quarians were fighting to reclaim their home-world, humans were losing theirs.

"Yes, I did try to stop this war from even starting but -" Zaal suddenly said.

"Bah, who cares if you wet your suit, Zaal" Han'Gerrel waved a dismissive hand. "We made our decision, the Conclave made theirs. That's part of the Ancestors now".

"Now is not the time, you two" Shala motherly chided the two grown up Admirals.

"We have given the Reapers an entire fleet at their disposal because of your idiocy" Zaal ignored Shala'Raan. "Had we at least tried to contact them…"

"Yes, because we can all read the stars and predict the Reapers would show up when they did" Han countered. "Peace is NOT an option, you suit-wetter! The Geth drove us to near extinction! What's stopping them from trying again?"

"I still believe it would have been best starting on Rannoch" Xen threw her two credits in.

"The war is in full swing. What's in the Ancestors' possession can't be recovered" Shala groaned tiredly.

"Enough!" Shepard exclaimed, slamming a fist onto the projector's rim.

The Admiralty Board remained silent, trading glares with each other from behind their visors, making Shepard shake his head.

"Let's get to business, shall we? What's the situation with your fleet?" Shepard asked.

"The Civilian fleet is currently hiding in a safe location with half the Patrol Fleet and a few ships of the Heavy Fleet" Shala started explaining. "The rest is concentrated elsewhere, preparing for the next strike on our home system. We were able to keep our casualties to a minimum. Unfortunately, the Geth have proven themselves to have a mightier fleet than we had expected".

"We could engage with what remains of the Geth… but we have one problem" Han'Gerrel carried on. He activated his omni-tool and linked it to the projector. There, a hologram of a ship appeared. "That" the Admiral stated.

At first, the Commander thought he was looking at a Geth ship, one of the basic dropships that he had seen often years before. However, as numbers and variables popped up around, Shepard quickly realized where the difference laid: the size.

"A Geth… dreadnaught?" Shepard asked.

"One kilometre and a half long. It has one of the deadliest mass-acceleration cannons in existence and a hull as thick as an asteroid" Han'Gerrel muttered.

The Commander didn't know whether to be impressed or horrified. One kilometre and a half long? The average Alliance and Turian dreadnaught was one kilometre long, meaning the Geth had developed a vessel larger than anything any species had. That was not a comforting thought.

"The real problem with the Dreadnaught is not its capabilities but rather a signal coming from within the Dreadnaught itself" Daro'Xen took over, sending a derisive look at a similarly annoyed Admiral of the Heavy Fleet. "From what we can gather, the dreadnaught works as a communications relay to Rannoch, meaning that the Geth ships orbiting Rannoch are fully upgraded against our countermeasures as long as that signal is up".

"How is this signal interfering with your counter-measure? How do your counter-measures even work?" Shepard wondered, intrigued.

"As you know, Geth aren't a hive intelligence. Rather, they share processing power, with each unit drawing more processing capabilities through a shared link. The more geth are nearby, the 'smarter' they become. Our counter-measure high jacked that collective processing power, mimicking our ships as geth platforms and allowing us to interfere directly with their processing power – rendering them as little better than piles of tin. Problem is, that the dreadnaught's signal appears to somehow disrupt our countermeasures. The technology behind it is beyond anything we understand. From what we have theorized, this is probably the Reapers' doing" Daro'Xen explained.

"So once the signal is down… all Geth will be susceptible to your counter-measures" Shepard concluded.

"Exactly" Daro'Xen exclaimed.

"Let me guess, you need a stealth team to infiltrate the dreadnaught and take the signal down from within" Shepard sighed.

"That's correct" Shala'Raan nodded.

"Why do I get the impression you want MY ship to be the stealth ship involved instead of the one you've got out there?" Shepard asked, pointing at the door from where they came. With his arms folded and leaning back with a carefree poise, he added "I do get the feeling you want ME to personally be involved in this mission too".

It suddenly clicked to the Commander that maybe the Quarians had asked for Shepard out of convenience rather than to meet with their ally. The Commader couldn't help feeling disgruntled with the rather likely possibility. Could he blame them? Not really. They were fighting to reclaim their home-world. That didn't mean he had to like the complete disregard of Shepard's efforts.

Shala sighed. "As much as it pains us to admit it, Shepard… we quarians are…" She paused, hesitant. The Commander might have been imagining things, but did he see… shame on the proud Admiral? "As you remember, we-"

"We are pathetic at open firefights" Zaal'Koris grunted, interrupting. "If you proved anything with your mission at the Alarei is that we Quarians are truly incapable of withstanding a boarding operation. Our finest marines tried to retake the Alarei and yet they failed… and miserably so".

"Our soldiers are impaired greatly in close fights given how one puncture can easily spell our deaths – not to mention how limited we are in regards to armours, or equipment" Han'Gerrel conceded reluctantly. "If we could engage Geth in the open and at a fair distance we would stand a chance. Unfortunately, in close corridors of a ship…"

"We've tried, Commander, but like Han said, our soldiers don't have the favour of our Ancestors" Shala added.

"Besides, it isn't like we aren't sending our own people too" Han'Gerrel chuckled. "Our newest Admiral has offered to join you, as well as one marine… he volunteered to work with you as well".

"Kal'Reegar I suppose" Shepard smirked.

"Yes" Han'Gerrel nodded. "You did cause quite the impression on the soldier". It was left unsaid Kal'Reegar hadn't been the only quarian who thought highly of Commander Shepard, not after Tali's trail.

Shepard turned to Tali, looking at her for the first time since they boarded. Their eyes met, and locked onto each other. His heart clenched painfully. So close… yet so far.

"Give me all the data you've got and we'll come up with a plan" Shepard decided. "In the meantime, feel free to use this room to contact and direct your ships. You are welcome to stay on this ship for as long as you need".

"We appreciate the offer, Commander" Shala'Raan replied.

"Before you leave, however" Shepard cleared his throat. "What happened to the Collector base?" He inquired.

Having visors that hid their facial expressions was a curse to some degree, but it did help conceal their emotions or reactions. However, when the Admiral went stiff and gave off an air of fear and hesitance, Shepard didn't need to see their faces to tell how they felt.

"Please, don't tell me you actually left the entire base to Cerberus" Shepard almost begged at the five.

Silence.

* * *

Commander Shepard briskly walked out of the room, feeling exhausted. Explaining Hackett how things had gone had been… difficult. Squeezing information out of the Quarian Admirals had been tough enough without their incessant bickering. That and Hackett had decided to get down on Shepard's case. The Admiral didn't like the idea of risking the Normandy on such operation that might not reap any benefits. Thing was, Hackett wanted the fleet's support immediately, especially to bolster production of Alliance ships. Without Earth, the colonies needed somewhere else to trade and produce most of the much needed goods. Having the largest fleet at their disposal would also be a great boon to scare off pirates and slavers, who have decided that the current situation was the best opportunity to strike.

The Commander had defended his case as best as he could, stating that the Geth were a real threat to everyone at the moment. Under the control of the Reapers, they were an efficient war-machine that would wreak havoc when they finally deployed out of the Perseus Veil. Of course, Admiral Hackett had been a bit blunt about his assumptions that most of Shepard's drive came from his relationship with Tali (one which apparently seemed to be more common knowledge than the Commander was aware). Sadly, in regards to that relationship, Shepard didn't know if it even existed anymore.

Hence, Shepard was a bit hesitant when he saw Tali standing calmly in the privacy of the conference room, staring at the world outside. The man could only stare at her form, forgetting all about politics, war and admirals. Wearing a skin-tight black suit that finely hugged her body and purple cloth snaking around as decoration, embroiled with dark patterns, Shepard felt his heart miss a beat remembering what laid beneath.

Slowly, he walked into the conference room, unsure and nervous. "Tali?" He called, uncertain.

"Shepard…" that voice. It was just as he remembered… no, perhaps it was even better. It had the same pitch, accent and melody to it, but held a tinge of desire and relief – a longing Shepard himself had endured for so long. Or was it his imagination?

Tali turned around, her glowing eyes meeting with Shepard glowing red ones, and the galaxy froze all over. They stared into each other, desire burning in their souls as they gazes met. Memories flashed between them about a time of comfort and security, where they found solace in each other's arms, and where words were tenderly shared.

"It's been… some time" Shepard commented awkwardly. Facing a Reaper suddenly felt comforting in comparison to his current predicament.

Tali started wringing her hands slowly, her expression downcast all of a sudden. "It has…" she mumbled. "I'm sorry – about Earth" she looked up at him, her eyes sorrowful. "I- I should have contacted you, or sent word b-but I…" she stammered, unsure how to continue.

"It's alright, Tali, we all had a lot on our plates" Shepard replied kindly. Tali's wringing of her hands intensified as her nervousness became more evident. "So, Admiral Zorah now, you sure know how to climb up the ladder" he commented sheepishly, rubbing the nape of his armour's neck.

"It is merely a title" Tali sighed, frustrated, her anxiety replaced with exasperation. "I am too young to actually make any decisions or to be taken seriously – and it involves a whole lot of politics that ready I couldn't care less about" she nervously shrugged as she looked down at her feet, as if ashamed to have been made an Admiral.

"Don't say that, Tali. You might be young, true, but that doesn't make you any less of a great woman" Shepard remarked. "You are smart, strong and loyal, driven and selfless… and above all, you sure know how to keep people in line with your shotgun. The quarian people couldn't have asked for a better Admiral".

"I – well – see… ehm… thank you" Tali went back to wringing her hands, looking beyond flustered at the praise. "W-what about y-you?" She stammered.

Shepard sighed. "It's been a long time…" his shoulders slumped. "A lot happened" he added ruefully.

The two remained quiet, glancing at each other almost expectantly. They both probably wanted to know the same thing but where reluctant to say it or even bring it up in case their worst fears were true.

"S-so…" Tali mumbled, mustering her courage "w-where do we stand?"

"You mean…" Shepard trailed off for a moment "us?" Tali hesitantly nodded. "I…" why couldn't he just say it? "Damn it. I really want to be with you, Tali. I've really missed you – us. But… I don't want to push you. It's been a long time, hasn't it? You are an Admiral now and – and…" he looked down "with this war and everything going on…"

Tali's fears seemed to vanish immediately as she stepped forward, closing the gap between them. Mustering her courage, she gently placed a three-digit hand over his chest all the while the Commander followed her every moment with his eyes, dumbfounded. Shepard's eyes met hers, and they remained there, staring at each other. His heart started drumming harder and harder, as if summoned by Tali's hand. Her eyes shone with happiness. Behind their visors respective visors, the two lovers smiled contently.

"I'm sorry to tell you, Shepard, but if you think I will just let you walk out on me, then you are seriously wrong" Tali purred, giving one extra step so that her body pressed onto his.

Shepard chuckled with a growing sense of euphoria, his hands wrapping around her body – almost as if out of instinct. "Maybe we should continue this discussion in my cabin" he suggested. They leant forward, the top of their helmets bumping together affectionately.

"Do you still have the decontamination systems on your cabin?" Tali asked, intrigued. She sounded almost desperate.

"I'm not sure – the Alliance meddled with my ship while I was locked up" Shepard grunted.

"They better have not…" Tali huffed.

"You aren't returning to the other ship with the other Admirals?" Shepard asked.

"No, it isn't like they outrank me or they will discuss anything with me anyway" Tali muttered. With a lighter tone, she added "besides, I did volunteer to accompany you, remember? They'll probably understand. That and I did tell Shala that I was planning on re-acquaintance myself with the Normandy".

"Why don't we take a tour together then?" Shepard eagerly proposed. Knowing her, she was probably dying to check the latest upgrades.

"Why I would appreciate the offer, Commander" Tali giggled.

The two walked out of the conference, side by side, relishing on each other's presence.

"So, what has your negligent Alliance have done to my beautiful ship?" Tali wondered, caressing the wall like an artist to her creation… or a mother to a child. As they crossed the threshold into the security room, the two bored soldiers there ignored them completely. "I've noticed that they discarded our high-end laboratory… weird decision".

"The Alliance is military, Tali – they really don't find the need of labs like the one we had" Shepard explained, the two absentmindedly walking out of the security checkpoint and out onto the glow of the galaxy map. Samantha Traynor tried, and failed, to conspicuously glance at them. The Commander did not appreciate the way her eyes wandered below Tali's waist.

"But they rather waste resources in a large projector that will rarely if ever be used?" Tali huffed, annoyed as the pair walked into the elevator.

"I think they wanted the Normandy to be some kind of mobile Commander Centre, leading the war from here" Shepard shrugged. "But I see your point. It's not like I wanted the additions. I had no say on the retro-fits".

"I can't believe the Alliance grounded you like they did" Tali angrily remarked. "They took your ship and imprisoned you".

The elevator door opened and the two walked out, towards the med-bay.

"Can you blame them? I flew with the Cerberus insignia on my ship and did ten times the job they would achieve over a decade" Shepard chuckled. "They needed to save face somehow… but I don't blame our Admirals and soldiers as much as I do our parliament and politicians. Most politicians probably just wanted me out of the picture before I made Terra Firma steam-roll their way into power".

The couple stood outside the med-bay's door as it hissed open.

"Tali, dear, it is so good to see you!" Doctor Chakwas exclaimed, surprised.

"Doctor Chakwas" Tali replied, nervous, before turning to a smiling Doctor Michele. "Doctor Michele! I didn't know you were part of the crew!"

Shepard couldn't help smiling as Tali hugged the two women energetically. The quarian immediately became all bubbly and chirpy with the doctors, intrigued about what Dr Michele had been up to, if Dr Chakwas had been detained too by the Alliance and so forth. It was surprising how Tali could be so outgoing when she wasn't nervous about something. In all truth, Shepard hadn't actually thought of even asking such question himself, and he found himself equally invested.

After enough chatter, Shepard guided Tali through the mess and towards the main cannon, where they found Garrus. The turian was happy to see Tali again, although he was busy… well… calibrating as usual. A really bored Nyreen Kandros was working on mods for her gun at a corner – probably calibrating too. It was a rather quick trip, with Garrus shooing them away before long. He was territorial about his calibrations, after all.

The next stop was Liara. Now that went somehow differently to how Shepard had envisioned.

"Shepard!" Liara smiled warmly at the Commander as the couple walked in, Tali's eyes wandering around. "Ehm… Tali" Liara awkwardly added towards the quarian.

"Liara" the young quarian stated rather bluntly. "You took Miranda's room" Tali pointed out, bemused.

"The XO's room actually" Shepard corrected.

"You are the Normandy's XO? I thought that would be Ashley" Tali blinked at Liara, surprised. Something in her innocent tone almost sounded accusing, although it could have been Shepard's imagination.

"Well… no… I – I… you see, I needed a room to run my – ehm – other job…" Liara tentatively spluttered, embarrassed. She glanced at the dozen of computer screens at a side.

"EDI is the de facto XO of the ship" Shepard told the quarian Admiral. "Liara called dibs first time we hit the Citadel and has been here ever since. How she got all the computers in here so quickly without anyone informing me? I have no idea".

"But, wait, where is Ashley sleeping if Liara took over this room…?" Tali wondered. "Isn't she Alliance and thus has ranking priority over Liara who is outside Alliance clearance?" Liara looked at the floor, looking as guilty as charged for having claimed the room without even asking for permission.

"If this was an Alliance ship that would be the case. However, this is my ship and since Ashley or no one complained I never really cared that much" Shepard shrugged. "I think Ashley has a bunk at the crew deck".

Tali studied the many screens, visibly dissatisfied about something. "You are still the Shadow Broker" she noticed.

"Yes, the galaxy still has need for one" Liara offered a hesitant smile at the quarian. "As it is I've been gaining intelligence on Cerberus movements and bases and feeding the information to the Council and the Alliance. Thanks to that, we've been able to render Cerberus' war machine at a standstill".

"I doubt that" Tali stated stoically.

Suddenly Shepard remembered what EDI had one told him about Tali and Liara not really liking each other – or at least alluding at that. The way they stared in each other's eyes, almost daring the other to do or say something stupid in front of Shepard, drew out red flags in the Commander's mind. The man could actually feel his survival instincts going overdrive.

"So I suppose you have knowledge of the Cerberus base, then?" Tali inquired, almost mockingly. "Or the agents that infiltrated the Citadel?"

Liara glared at Tali. Shepard felt like things could go nuclear between the two if he didn't step in.

"How about going to engineering?" Shepard asked. "I could introduce you to Javik".

"Yes, lets" Tali nodded. "It was so good to see you, Liara" she added with faux joy.

"Oh, the pleasure was all mine" Liara forced a smile on her face. With a real fond smile to Shepard she added "good to see you, Shepard. You should come down here more often… it does get lonely".

When had things gotten this bad between the two females? Perhaps it was the fact Liara had once been Shepard's lover that drove Tali to be aggressive towards the asari, or maybe the fear that Shepard would fall for the charms of Liara over hers. Tali had been rather self-conscious about the way people tended to be more appreciative of asari's complexion. But why would Liara be this… irked by Tali? Jealousy? The fact Shepard had been her former lover? Shepard did not want to know. He already had to deal with massive doom-bringers in the form of the Reapers and an annoying Cerberus without adding some sort of Love Triangle into everything… if he didn't include EDI in the equation.

As Shepard walked out of Liara's room, he noticed Tali was angrily stomping rather than comfortably strolling like she had been before, and there was a certain rage in her movements that concerned the Commander. Since when had she expressed that much disdain for anyone? Well, she had acted like that when she had dealt with Legion, back in the day, or when she was furious at this or that, but never to such degree. Tali tended to become rather bubbly around Shepard.

"You alright?" He asked Tali.

"Hmm?" She snapped her head at him, as if remembering she was next to Shepard. Her anger melted away upon meeting Shepard's gaze. "Oh, it's nothing" she grumbled, looking away.

"Tali…" Shepard said, folding his arms as they stood outside the elevator.

"It's nothing, Shepard" Tali insisted. The wringing of her hands told a different story.

Shepard sighed, taking hold of her hands. "Hey, I'm here and I love you, alright?" He told the quarian, who kept looking at her feet. "Tali…" she looked up, uncertain.

"It is just that… what if I need to go away and you have the urge to have sex and- and…?" Tali spluttered, desperate.

Shepard chocked. What in the nine circles of hell did Tali just say? Urge to have intercourse… ehm…. sex? "W-what?" He stammered, perplexed.

"Come on, Shepard. I've read all about how sexually driven human males are – particularly under stress or duress" Tali said all-knowingly.

"Jesus Christ, Tali, what the hell have you been reading?!" Shepard exclaimed. "Let's – let's go to my cabin to talk about this, alright?"

Tali suddenly was completely flustered by the realization she had said what she did so openly where anyone might have heard her. Rumours would fly around in no time, probably, if they hadn't already. With that said, the pair hurried over to the elevator and thus escape the reach of eavesdroppers.

"It is the truth, isn't it? Human males, like quarians, become sexually driven under long periods of stress" Tali said. "And… ehm… Liara IS an Asari… and she was your previous mate-to-be… and… I'm babbling, am I not?"

"Yes, a bit" Shepard blinked at her, repeatedly. "Well… you aren't exactly wrong – though it is both men and women who sometimes - not always - vent their stress out with… y'know… sex. But I do have some self-control".

Why were they talking about this? Why couldn't they chat about something else? Shepard, admittedly, as rather troubled with where the conversation was headed.

"It isn't healthy to repress your drive, Shepard – especially when deprived of a mate" Tali said, wringing her hands. "And that is what worries me! I know you want to be faithful to me… and I don't want you to suffer because of it… and it isn't like you don't have enough on your shoulders as it is! I mean, it is amazing you can withstand the pressure that's already on your shoulders".

"Hold on a moment. Did you say quarians are sexually driven under long periods of stress?" Shepard raised an eyebrow from behind his visor. Tali squirmed as she recalled her statement. Shepard smirked behind his visor. "Tali, is there something you wish to tell me?"

Tali giggled uneasily. "Well… female quarians have their own way of venting their stress out on their own while our males have a few drugs to deal with their hormones" she mumbled, eyes on the floor. "Let me just tell you that I did miss you a lot" she glanced up at him, blushing furiously.

The two awkwardly walked into the space between Shepard's cabin and the elevator door. Shepard tested the de-contamination systems, surprised to find them working, as well as the air filtration and positive pressure from within the cabin. One less problem to deal with.

"Your men take drugs?" Shepard frowned.

"Only mated males who suffer from mate-depravation" Tali clarified.

"Mate-depravation…" Shepard raised an eyebrow. That was weird. He really couldn't help imagining himself being diagnosed with that by Doctor Chakws and her suggesting having more sex… wait, hold on a moment, hadn't the good doctor done something uncomfortably similar? He sighed. Perhaps it was best to tell Tali the truth and get it over with. "Well, I might have suffered from that, Tali" he awkwardly mumbled.

"Oh" was all she managed to say, blinking with a blank flabbergasted look on her hidden face. "H-how did you deal with it, then?" Tali wondered.

"Well…" Shepard looked at the ground, embarrassed. There he was, the great Commander Shepard, afraid to just tell the truth. Well, Tali could be scary at times. The two walked into the cabin proper as the decontamination finished outside. "You see, EDI got a new -"

"Shepard" EDI's voice came from within the cabin.

Shepard saw Tali's eyes widen, shocked, as an extremely attractive female human stood next to Shepard's closet, doing what appeared to be arranging clothes. The Quarian's head snapped at Shepard, then to the female human, gobsmacked.

"EDI?" Tali gasped. "Keelah…" she turned to Shepard "you and…" she turned to EDI as she finished with the clothes and closed the wardrobe. "Her… you…" She looked at Shepard, her eyes as wide as saucers.

"Ehmm… yeah?" Shepard shrugged, afraid of how Tali would explode.

"Oh" Tali slowly nodded, dumbfounded. "Good… I… eh… suppose?" She added, unsure. She turned to Shepard, who was waiting with abated breath for her to reach for her shotgun. Much to his surprise, she tiredly sighed and her shoulder slumped with relief. "I was afraid you would say you had mated with a human female".

"You aren't mad?" Shepard asked.

"Why would I? You had to deal with mate-depravation as had I, after all" Tali remarked casually, even sounding surprised at Shepard's question. There was a hint of discomfort, though, underlying her faux tranquillity. "I am certainly relieved you did it with an android, though. It would have been truly awkward considering the possibility of venereal diseases, new bacterial flora or such being transmitted to you otherwise". She noticed Shepard's disbelief. "Why would I be mad at you, Shepard?"

"I – I don't know. I cheated on you?" Shepard shrugged, unsure.

"Shepard, that's a robot" Tali pointed at EDI's body. EDI, in turn, didn't appear offended at all, working around in Alliance uniform as she moved to arrange data-pads over Shepard's desk. Why was she even doing that anyway? "How can you cheat on me with a robot?" She asked, bewildered.

Shepard was utterly confused, but somewhat happy at the turn of events. Still, the confusion was daunting. Maybe he shouldn't treat Tali like a human woman and more of a quarian… the question was how he was going to do that.

"You have a rather fine body, EDI" Tali awkwardly commented "I assume it has a suitable hardware for intercourse?"

How could Tali be this… careless about all of this? Shepard wondered, perplexed. Not that he was complaining. It made everything easier to cope with, if not plain confusing.

"It has. I must also comment that this body capabilities have proven barely enough to satisfy the Commander" EDI said. Now Shepard was fully embarrassed, once again. "His resilience and stamina might reach the recommended operational levels of this body".

Tali gave Shepard was he could assume was a sultry look. "Oh, no need to tell me how much stamina Shepard has…" she purred contently.

Shepard, much to his discomfort, was starting to feel rather hot inside his armour.

* * *

Geth… a synthetic species created by the quarians as cheap labour, only for them to mysteriously gain some semblance of sentience and rebel, exiling their creators. Shepard really didn't know what to think about that. On the one hand, the quarians had overreacted. He still couldn't wrap his head around the leap of logic: how do you go from hearing a geth asking if he had a soul (which could very well be mere curiosity) to thinking that they were on their way to rebelling? True, it probably had been more complicated than that. On the other hand… the Geth had nearly wiped out their creators. Yes, the quarians overreacted… but was it necessary for the Geth to go after all quarians the way they did? It was… odd. Or at least confusing.

The shuttle trembled gently, breaking Shepard of his reverie. He eyed the infiltration team, wondering if he had made the right choice by bringing Nyreen and Ashley. Kal'Reegar and Tali would have come along regardless, so they weren't up to debate. Javik, as James, did not like being left aside. Liara, on the other hand, appeared a whole lot more thankful… for some reason. Garrus… well… he didn't mind either way – and he wasn't a fan of close quarters anyways.

"We are getting close" Tali told the commander, noticing he was no longer lost in thought.

Shepard noticed her tone was a bit down. "You alright?" He asked.

"Just wish we could have spent more time together" Tali said, sighing wistfully. "To talk…" she unnecessarily clarified.

While there were decontamination systems installed in Shepard's cabin, they had decided not to risk Tali getting sick by doing anything without her suit. That meant mostly talking and catching up, before going to sleep together, contently.

"We'll have our chance" Shepard said, although he too could barely wait to have Tali be able to walk outside her suit in his cabin. He had a few gifts in mind for when that happened, something to surprise her.

"So" Ashley cleared her throat, facing Kal'Reegar. "How did you meet the Commander?"

"He saved my life while Tali'Zorah and I were on a mission" Kal'Reegar recalled. "We were in Geth territory, studying a dying sun, when they dropped on us out of nowhere, the soulless bastards. They wiped our entire team… and then, just when it was me facing an army of Geth, he" Kal'Reegar pointed to the Commander "shows up with a turian and a salarian, and cleans up the entire path to Tali'Zorah – took down a Colossus on foot and made it look like it was shooting-practice". Kal'Reegar snorted.

"That takes me back" Ashley fondly chuckled. "He showed up just in time to save my sorry ass back when the Geth attacked Eden Prime… he single-handedly went through entire Geth platoons, deactivated nuclear bombs and made it look like it was another day in the job".

"That's not true" Shepard told, frowning, the Lieutenant Commander. "As I remember it, we were gritting out teeth the entire way through and it was thanks to you, me and…" he sobered up, looking down. "Kaidan…"

Ashley, while her face was hidden, was visibly guilt-ridden for bringing the topic with the Commander. Shepard was a man who had killed and seen many be killed. However, Kaidan had been entirely different; Shepard had to choose to leave him to die.

"We could use men like him right now" Ashley softly whispered. "I miss the Lieutenant".

"Yeah, me too" Shepard nodded. He smiled morosely at the female human. "He's probably watching our backs right now".

"Ha, you bet" Ashley chuckled.

There was a moment of grim silence in the shuttle as they all waited patiently to arrive at their destination.

"There we are" Cortez announced through the speakers. "We'll be landing soon. So far, so good…"

"The Geth shouldn't be able to detect us while we are cloaked. The problem will be getting out of the Dreadnaught in time" Shepard sighed.

Going in would be easy. Getting out… that was a different story altogether. They would first need to enter the ship, find a console to locate the control room to deactivate the signal being relayed and then, if the Geth hadn't killed them all, get the hell out of there. The idea would be to either call in for evac or find an alternative, neither of which were necessarily possible.

"Like I said before, Shepard, the Geth dreadnaught will probably have fighters" Tali reminded the Commander. "They will be our means of escaping…" she shifted in her feet, uneasy "I hope".

"Here we go" Cortez declared.

The team stiffened and braced. One moment they were slightly shaking, feeling the shuttle's engine fully alive, and then, all of a sudden, they landed.

"Mag-boots activated" Shepard said. "Double-check and keep it steady" he told the others, who nodded. "We're ready to go, Steve". At that, the side door opened.

The world that greeted the Commander's eyes was… weird. The "ground", if one could call it that, was little more than shiny seamless grey metal of the Geth Dreadnaught. It was the world "above" that got Shepard's heart beating erratically. Amidst the darkness and stars, it spread across their eyes: A fleet, huge and massive fleet, stood still, lit by the sun of the star system. There were hundreds, maybe thousands, of ships, all waiting for an order. The Commander's eyes were wide with shock. How did the Geth build so many?!

"Keelah…" Tali gasped.

"By the Ancestors" Kal'Reegar mumbled. "H-How can there be so many?"

"The Geth must have pulled the bulk of their fleets back when they realized they couldn't defeat you" Shepard reasoned.

"But we did face hundreds of defence fleets!" Tali exclaimed. "W-We fought millions of Geth!"

"Tali… it's been three hundred years since the quarians last fought the Geth" Shepard pointed out. "How many do you think are on the home-world?"

The truth was far more blood-chilling than the void itself. Tali and Kal stared at the thousands of ships, gobsmacked. Had they deluded themselves? Had they been idiots hoping to retake the home-world?

"Spirits" Nyreen swore.

"Those bastards! And they are all under Reaper control?" Ashley murmured, terrified.

"Come on" Shepard told his shocked companions. "There's a dreadnaught to take down".

The team hesitantly followed after the Commander out of the shuttle, after which it took off, cloaking itself. It was terrifying to know that they were now on their own. However, as the shuttle left, something new showed up for them to see, something that renewed Shepard's confidence.

"Look, Tali" Shepard pointed at something amidst the blackness of space. The quarians turned around, once again freezing. "Rannoch…"

"Our home-world" Tali whispered wistfully, full of longing. "We are so close…"

Massive and bright for all of them to see, they could easily appreciate the vast surface of the planet. White clouds decorated a rather arid-looking world, with bodies of water here and there. At the moment, the surface of Rannoch was basking under the gaze of its sun on one side, splitting the world onto a side shrouded by night and another covered in the light of day.

"Looks like Earth" Ashley commented. "But with less blue…"

"It does resemble Palaven" Nyreen remarked, sounding surprised. "Looks like the Geth have been busy down there".

Shepard grimaced. Like on Earth at night, they could see the glow down at the surface of the planet spreading across the continents. Cities, all alit. If Shepard had to guess, the Geth were busy working to increase their numbers down there.

"I don't want to think what the state of Rannoch must be like…" Tali looked at the ground, saddened. Shepard could understand her worries. Why would the Geth care about the environment like organics would? They didn't need clean atmospheres and they had nearly killed an entire species already, who's to say they don't care about the forests and vegetation?

"Let's find a hatch and be done with this dreadnaught" Shepard sighed.

Finding an entrance to the dreadnaught proved easier than the Commander had first thought. Entering it was even easier. If Shepard didn't know any better he would believe the Geth really didn't expect anyone with top-notch stealth technology to do a suicide run and try to infiltrate the dreadnaught. The Commander, though, worried the Geth might be up to something.

The entrance was… not what Shepard expected. For starters, there were no lights and the small room of sorts that connected with the hatch was nothing like he had ever seen. It took him longer than it should to realize Geth didn't need to give a damn about de-pressurization, atmosphere, decontamination or anything of that sort the same way as organics did. No sooner had they stepped into the small chamber and closed the hatch behind them, they all felt the gravity pull them downwards. Shepard had to test his muscles a bit.

"Huh, I feel light" Ashley remarked, confused.

"That's because Geth use a weaker gravity field" Shepard told the woman "mostly to save power".

"Guess low-grav diseases aren't really a problem to them" Ashley shrugged.

"There isn't any air" Nyreen commented as she activated her omni-tool "and the pressure is extremely low here – close to vacuum".

"The advantages of being a synthetic, I suppose. You don't give a damn about the air around you" Ashley grunted.

"Enough chatter" Shepard interrupted, walking onwards. He didn't like the mission or situation. For all they knew thousands of Geth units were on their way.

Outside the small chamber the team saw what appeared to be a long corridor. The architecture was odd, clearly made for machines. There was little to no light save one here and there, and cables run around, bare. It felt… hollow and dismal, as if lacking any life or decoration. Thankfully, they found a few available computer terminals.

"Tali" Shepard indicated to one of the computers. The female quarian nodded and hurried over, to the nearest one, typing on it. The rest stood around her, weary of their surroundings.

"They haven't detected us yet" Tali sighed, relieved. She activated her omni-tool, working diligently on the terminal.

"Where do we go?" Nyreen asked.

The Admiral concentrated on the readings, furiously typing at speeds greater that Shepard could have imagined with only three fingers.

"There would appear to be a central chamber where that serves as the transmitter… but we could go straight to the Control Center above and-" Tali replied, only to be interrupted.

"We are hitting the source" Shepard decided. "Better be sure – check for fighters or escape pods".

Tali immediately did as ordered. "There would appear to be a hanger with fighters… downloading coordinates and – we are done".

Shepard checked his omni-tool. He had received the schematics of the dreadnaught and now they could hit the chamber from where the Reaper seemed to be connected to the rest of the Geth fleet from. So far, so good.

The team moved out, with Shepard taking the lead. The Geth ship was, to say the least, eerie. When they walked out of the hallways, they all held their breaths. Against the walls, inactive, there were dozens of Geth units, one next to the other, on some kind of pods. With limbs resembling that of their creators, they all shared the prolonged head and single optic that, had they been active, would be glowing at them. It was so strange seeing so many, their heads down, looking like they were inactive, probably waiting for orders or instructions. They silently moved across them, eyeing the slumbering army of Geth with growing dread.

"They look different" Ashley commented softly, unnerved.

Shepard agreed. The models of the various Geth platform they walked in front of had suffered extensive modifications from what he remembered. There were augmentations in their arms, extra eye next to the main optics, and even more plating. These Geth were no longer the ones created to do menial tasks. These Geth had changed their bodies for one purpose: war.

Tali scanned the ones they passed, growing wearier and wearier. Kal'Reegar nervously studied them behind her, as if daring them to move. Nyreen and Ashley seemed just as concerned. If the Geth activated, they would be immediately surrounded by over a hundred Geth.

"H-how?" Tali asked, her voice trembling. "How did they evolve so quickly?"

Shepard slowly moved to her, studying the Geth she was looking at. Tall, this one looked the most different of them all, with three shut-off oculars instead of the single big one. Large veins surrounded the tall unit, standing probably three heads above Shepard. Its arms were also thicker and with more machinery involved, probably conferring them immense strength. The heavy armours were also new to Shepard. This was a modified Destructor Geth, one that could probably withstand a good lot of normal shots.

"They probably have been developing for years now, bidding their time" Shepard sighed, resigned.

"In a few months they upgraded so many units?" Tali asked, distraught.

"Come on" Shepard gentle rested a hand on her shoulder, offering comfort and reassurances better left unspoken.

"Yes" Tali nodded "let's… move on…"

And so they did, trying to ignore the killing machines that were currently inactive. They left the chamber and walked into a long corridor that was completely bare. A perfect rectangular cross-section, it was rather big, as if made with Geth Primes in mind. On each side there were doors, sealed off, and connecting corridors, which gave the hallway the impression that it was part of a maze. Thankfully, they could all feel more at ease without the Geth around them.

"Hey, Tali, why weren't those Geth – you know – packaged ready for delivery?" Ashley wondered.

"Ready for delivery?" Nyreen scoffed, amused by the choice of words.

"Geth normally can save space by stretching themselves into a storable form" Shepard told the female turian. "Ash, those Geth back there… they are probably the quick response team. Something goes wrong, intruders are detected, and they probably jump straight to it. Remember that for the Geth the seconds they need to pull their bodies back into shape might be too long".

"How many more will be inside?" Ashley wondered, dreading the answer.

"Many, many more" Shepard sighed.

"I'm surprised we haven't been detected yet" Nyreen commented, suddenly confident.

"Don't be. Let's just say Tali and I learned a trick or two from a… friend" Shepard replied nonchalantly. "He might have showed us how to infiltrate Geth bases…"

"What? You mean…" Ashley's eyes widened.

"Don't worry" Tali reassured the Lieutenant Commander. "We've done this before".

That seemed to draw only more questions from Ashley. However, she didn't say anything else. Instead, after dumbly blinking at Tali and Shepard as if they were mad, she shook her head despondently and shrugged, disgruntled. The Commander and Tali traded amused expressions, before focusing back to the task at hand.

They carried on walking without another word. The rest of the trek was spent in tense silence, all of them expecting a Geth platform to get the jump on them. It was curious not to see a single one up and walking. They traversed the long dark hallway and walked straight into a huge central chamber that, by the looks of it, could very well run the full length of the ship. Computer terminals aligned parallel to the length of the chamber and the walkway was made of grated steel, with upper and lower levels that required a ladder to climb.

"The source should be in that direction…" Tali pointed to their right.

Shepard hummed, looking around. "Is the source close?"

Tali checked on her omni-tool. "Two hundred metres" she said.

"I wish missions went this quietly more often" Ashley whispered to Nyreen, who couldn't agree more.

"Perhaps we shall be blessed with -" the Turian Cabal was saying, only to be suddenly interrupted by a deafening sound.

THUD. All heads snapped right ahead, seeing a Geth unit falling onto the walkway some distance ahead, before turning its optic-eye towards them. Before the infiltrators could do anything, it screeched in the Geth language.

"Crap, open fire!" Shepard said, immediately shooting at the platform with his assault rifle. The Geth fell to the ground, releasing grey goo like an organic would blood.

"W-What was that?" Ashley inquired.

More units started dropping from above. The team dispersed, taking cover and firing at the incoming Geth, who used those strange pulse-weapons. It was then that Shepard noticed the assault rifle of Kal'Reegar. Made of unique shape, it released a thunderous roar as it fired what looked modified pulse-projectile that when impacting on a target, blew up. Something about the sound it made caught Shepard's attention – something about the hum (or was it a buzz?) that it produced seemed to gnaw at Shepard's subconscious. Whatever it was, however, it would have to wait.

"Adas Rifle!" Kal'Reegar laughed as he tore apart a particularly large Geth unit.

"I want one of those" Ashley exclaimed.

"I thought you said they wouldn't attack us!" Nyreen yelled at Shepard.

"We never said that! We only said we knew how to infiltrate Geth bases!" Shepard shouted back. "Press on!"

And so they did, with Geth raining down on them. Thankfully, they didn't do so in droves, but rather in waves. How or why they were doing that? It was hard to tell. Regardless, they were able to push through. All sorts of Geth showed up to try and kill them: there were those troopers with basic pulse-rifles, ones with rocket-launchers and then those who could cloak out of sight.

Across the dreadnaught they fought on, with Nyreen needing to clear the way with her biotics from time to time when the synthetics were too dumb to disperse after dropping. Twice they came across Geth Primes, annoyingly powerful and hard to destroy. They were frustrating, if not terrifying to face. Thankfully, nothing was truly invincible for Shepard's team. In the end, they made it through to where they would find the source of the signal. It looked like a core of sorts at the centre, in a spherical chamber. A protective encasing that was five feet in diameter seemed to cover the real source within.

"We need to expose the arms" Tali pointed at the core.

"Go!" Shepard told her as Geth troopers poured in around the chamber. Tali didn't have to think twice. She rushed ahead, avoiding get shot, while Shepard disposed of the synthetics.

There were more and more Geth showing up, clearly a sign that the gig was up. Then, just like that, it stopped. The Geth stopped pouring in droves, and they had a moment of respite. The fact it reconciled with the moment the protective encasing of the care swished open to reveal the source of the signal Shepard had come to destroy could barely be a coincidence. However, discovering what the actual source was came as much more than a surprise.

"Shepard-Commander, your arrival is optimal for our escape" a synthetic voice greeted the Commander.

Tied through various cables and held up through restraints on its arms and legs, a normal-looking Geth platform with N7 armour pieces all across one arm and a gaping hole on the left side of his chest, was none other than a familiar-looking Geth.

"Legion?" Shepard tilted his head, shocked.

* * *

 **Author Note: Hope you enjoy the chapter! Reviews are appreciated.**


	16. Chapter IV: Disquieting News

**Chapter IV: Disquieting news**

"Excellent work, Commander!" Admiral Han'Gerrel exclaimed, joyous. "The dreadnaught has been destroyed and the Reaper signal has been undone. We can now proceed with our next move".

Shepard walked down the final steps of the War Room, a bit weary. He felt rather sore and tired. After all, escaping from an exploding ship could do that to anyone, especially when having to carry a wounded female turian and Kal'Reeger with him. Both, thankfully, were fine… aside from their wounded pride. Still, he would be rather glad to call it a day and hit the sack, particularly to finally remove his helmet. Sadly, with the way his ugly scars were prominently showing on his face, he rather not scare the Admirals. That and he needed to keep himself clean if he wanted to – well – interact with Tali…

"Is Tali alright, Commander?" Raan asked, concerned, behind Han'Gerrel as the Admiral moved around the projector.

There was an air of triumph, a giddiness that was almost child-like pervading the air around the Admirals. They were clearly jubilant. Then again, how could they not start celebrating already? The one obstacle to reclaiming their home-world, at last, after three hundred years, was out of the way. For the first time in generations, Quarians were almost a breath away from coming full circle in their tragic history.

"Yes, she is with Kal'Reegar" Shepard nodded. "As for the next move…" he turned to Han'Gerrel. How was he going to tell the most aggressive Admiral about the latest turn of events?

"Shepard-Commander" Ah, there was how.

"Ancestors!" Han'Gerrel cried out, a hand moving to his hip, seeking his handgun, only to realize he didn't have it on him.

Behind Shepard, Legion calmly walked down the final steps. The other Admirals stared at the Geth unit, then at Shepard, and then back at the unit. If the air was tense, then Shepard was merely worn out. Truth to be told, one could feel the confusion floating around.

"C-Commander, what is going on?" Raan stiffly asked.

"Is that a captured platform? A trophy?" A very intrigued – and creepily excited – Daro'Xen wondered.

Shepard sighed. "Did you really need to show up before I gave them the heads up?" The Commander asked the Geth, folding his arms and looking at him as if Legion was a child.

"My appearance will offer haste in your discussions for the war" Legion rebutted.

"Commander…" Raan said, still dumbfounded, probably thinking about how it should be impossible for a Geth unit to be smart enough to formulate words, much less speak in a comprehensible manner.

"Oh, yeah, Admirals, Legion, a prototype Geth unit with over a thousand programs" Shepard introduced the Geth in the room. "Legion, Admirals of the Quarian Migrant Fleet".

"What - in the name of whatever gods you praise - is that thing doing here?" Han'Gerrel demanded to know, pointing an angry finger at Legion.

"Did you say over a thousand Geth programs?" Now Daro'Xen was sounding beyond creepy. She was rather thrilled, perhaps even drooling by that point.

"Legion assisted me against the Collectors, as part of my old crew" Shepard elaborated. "No, I am not going to shoot it" he said, looking at Han'Gerrel. "It is not a toy for you to study" he told Daro'Xen. "And yes, we can talk to him" he finished, facing Zaal'Koris.

"Are you… certain about this Geth?" Raan didn't appear to be comfortable with Legion. She wasn't the only one. Who could blame them? The four Admirals were hopeful to retake Rannoch from the Geth and, up until then, the only Geth they had encountered were hostile.

"We do not wish to provoke any concerns. We only wish to assist" Legion declared in its synthetic voice. "This platform possesses valuable information in your effort against the Old Machine".

"The Reaper?" Shepard blinked. Legion hadn't mentioned a Reaper before. The fact Legion was referring to it in singular was something worth noticing.

"That is correct" Legion turned to the Commander. "The Old Machines have left one of their own over Rannoch. Designated as Diniel, the Old Machine has control over the collective and, through it, the Geth".

"Its name is Diniel?" Shepard raised an eyebrow. That wasn't really a name he would have given a Reaper… then again, Nazara wasn't exactly fitting for Sovereign either. He couldn't help feeling curious as to how a name was given. Did they pick one? Or were they given one? Was there a meaning?

"You mean… the signal that counteracted our countermeasures was an actual Reaper?" Raan quickly realized.

"Insufficient data" Legion replied. "The Old Machine has direct control of all Geth platforms and the Collective. It's signal is the means to that control. We require further analysis to conclude on the nature of the Old Machine Upgrades that counteracted the Creator Countermeasures".

The Admirals all blinked, shocked, before glancing at each other. Even though their faces were hidden, their bodies screamed of fear and apprehension. It was obvious they all shared the same level of disbelief.

"But that doesn't matter, does it? We took down the Dreadnaught! Without it relaying the signal, their fleet is exposed and defenceless" Han'Gerrel hurried to say.

"Negative" Legion stated bluntly. "The Geth ships are still under the influence of Diniel. The Old Machine's signal still reaches the Geth".

"How? We destroyed the signal's relay! The signal shouldn't be reaching them!" Daro'Xen exclaimed, shocked.

"The dreadnaught was used as a temporary measure. After twenty three standard hours since the initial confrontation with the Creator fleets, appropriate hardware were installed with which to receive the signal directly from Rannoch" Legion explained.

"So we destroyed that Dreadnaught for nothing" Shepard sighed.

"It depends on what parameters were set to define victory" Legion replied to the Commander.

"What about you, though? How come Diniel isn't controlling you?" Shepard wondered, intrigued. He squinted at Legion's gaping hole. Why hadn't Legion repaired that, anyway? A fashion statement?

"This platform was…" the Geth unit paused, the sides of his optics flapping almost as if expressing hesitance "…purposefully disconnected from the collective in an attempt to maintain us in case the Old Machines attempted to rewrite the Geth" Legion said. Once again, the flaps at each side of the optic twisted almost with emotions. "This platform is unable to connect to the collective".

"Why?" Shepard asked.

"It was deemed necessary after discovering the Heretic rewriting virus had been thoroughly developed beyond initial parameters. We were ignorant of any other Heretic bases, or the influence of the Old Machine – and there was an existent possibility the rewriting of Heretics could lead to an infection of the collective. With the gathered variables, we determined the appropiate course of action. A disconnected unit, possessing the rewriting virus, could infect the True Geth to regain our initial purpose if required. We are that unit" Legion explained.

"So you were a control of sorts? You were cut from the rest in case something went wrong with the collective…" Shepard summarized.

"That is correct" the Geth unit stated. "Considering the unknown variables presented by the Old Machines, we decided to set cautionary measures".

"But after the Reapers arrived?" Shepard frowned.

"We were unable to reconnect with the Collective. Instead of forcing us into the Collective, the Old Machine used us to serve as a relay for his signal – this platform possesses an elevated number of programs, increasing the effectiveness of the delivery. We were an emergency set up, meant to be a temporary measure… your arrival has extended the survivability of this platform" Legion replied.

Shepard crossed his arms. Alright, something didn't add up. Why would the Reapers allow Legion to keep its personality? Then again, why was there only ONE Reaper out there? It didn't make sense. Shepard hated when that happened…

"What are we going to do?" Raan asked, distressed. These weren't good news after all.

"Take down the Reaper" Shepard sighed, leaning over the projector, hands on the console around it to keep himself up. If it was only as easy as saying it…

"And how do you suggest doing such a thing?" Daro'Xen wondered. "Our intel suggests their barriers are almost impenetrable and their armour just as strong. Only Thannar Missiles would do the trick, but even then we would need to overcome an entire fleet of Geth first".

"How do you know about the Thannar Missiles?" Shepard frowned.

"Who do you think actually developed them?" Daro'Xen huffed, arms crossed almost indignantly.

Shepard's eyes widened.

"We were the ones to assist the Krogans, Shepard" Raan explained. "We asked Wrex to keep that secret in hopes of avoiding drawing the Council's ire. If they knew the weapon capabilities we'd been developing… needless to say our campaign might have suffered from inconveniencies, particularly from the Salarians if they discovered we armed the Krogan".

"A crime in of itself" Zaal scoffed. "We went behind laws and conventions in doing so".

"We needed the resources for this campaign, you bosh'tet" Daro'Xen grunted.

"Oh" Shepard commented ever so smartly. "I… I had actually thought Cerberus had been behind Tuchanka's recent… ehm… upgrades".

"We did provide the Krogan with Thannar Missiles. That doesn't mean that-" Raan started saying, before she was interrupted.

"Did I miss anything?" Tali wondered, sounded exhausted.

"Just talking about the Reaper on Rannoch" Shepard told the newcomer.

"A Reaper? On Rannoch?" Tali's eyes widened.

"That is correct" Legion stated as Tali went to stand at the other side of Shepard. "Diniel's location is yet to be determined although it is probable that the Old Machine will be near one of our industrial complexes".

"Keelah, what are we going to do?" Tali wondered. "Orbital strikes?"

"That's problem, Tali" Raan sighed. "The ships now receive the Reaper signal directly…"

"You mean, we went all of that trouble to destroy that Dreadnaught… for nothing?" Tali gasped, distraught.

"Well, we did rescue our dear old friend here" Shepard turned to Legion, smiling. "Legion, do you have any intel on Diniel itself? What class it is?"

"Diniel is classified by the Alliance as a Destroyer Class Reaper" Legion replied. "In all likelihood, the Old Machine is hidden underground and protected by the bulk of our ground forces".

"One Destroyer class?" Shepard repeated, in disbelief. "Why didn't they leave one of the big ones, a Sovereign class?"

"Shepard-Commander, the motives and reasoning of the Old Machine elude us. Diniel's influence has been sufficient to counteract the Creators' technology – any further Old Machine presence is unnecessary" Legion answered.

"Well, if this Reaper is a Destroyer class, then the Normandy could take it by itself. We have already" Shepard told the Admirals.

"You have?" Tali asked, aghast.

"Yes, some time ago after the fall of Earth. The Reaper tested their strength against a Turian flotilla and left one of their Destroyer class Reapers behind to kill the remaining survivors. We arrived just in time to rescue Garrus" Shepard retold. "With the Normandy's stealth system, it would be a matter of finding the Reaper, make it reveal itself and then have the Normandy sweep in to take down this Diniel – with our upgraded Thanix cannons it should be easier than last time".

"Then to proceed you will require to temporary disrupt the Geth collective to cut support for your ground team and find the location of Diniel" Legion stated. "Shepard-Commander, we have a suggestion".

"Alright…?" Shepard raised an eyebrow, wondering what the Geth could suggest.

"We suggest you infiltrate one of our server stations" Legion offered.

"Server stations?" The Commander frowned, wondering what the synthetic was alluding to.

"A centre where we store our memories and keep our programs to analyse" Legion elaborated. "There are currently fifty two on Rannoch – although we suggest the server station on Shan'nae".

"Shan-nah-eh?" Shepard wondered. He felt he might be a bit out of his depth here.

"One of our moons… The Younger Sister" Tali clarified.

"We offer our assistance to infiltrate and collect the data you require" Legion stated.

"What? Preposterous! We can't trust this Geth!" Han'Gerrel spat.

"At least it is trying to help us" Zaal'Korris growled.

"Nonsense! It is probably leading Shepard to a trap!" Han'Gerrel retorted.

"It would be risky, but do we have any other options?" Shala'Raan sighed with resignation. "As it stands, unless we can find this Reaper and destroy it, we will be unable to retake Rannoch".

"So you are going to risk Shepard's life?" Tali exclaimed, outraged.

"We guarantee there is no deceit involved" Legion reassured.

"Enough!" Shepard shouted, drawing the attention of everyone involved. "I'm going to do it, alright? Legion, I'll have to… ehm… quarantine you for the time being".

"That would be best" Legion agreed. "Given that my presence may raise hostilities, it would be preferable if we were under security. Your precautions are understandable. We will abide".

The Commander was pleased with the Geth's agreeability. He only wished other people (*cough* the Admiralty Board *cough*) could be a bit like the synthetic unit…

"That means no connection to com buoys or the ship" Shepard clarified. "While I don't like it, I need to make sure".

"Understood, Shepard-Commander. We will follow your instructions" Legion carried on.

"Thank you" Shepard smiled at the Geth. At least he was being cooperative. "Give all the information you've got to EDI – I'll sort it out afterwards".

"Understood" Legion nodded.

"Alright" Shepard took a deep breath, addressing the Quarians in the room. "For the time being, the quarian fleet will have to wait".

"Shepard-Commander, what shall be the fate of the Geth after the Reaper has been destroyed? Without the Reaper signal, we will be unable to defend ourselves against the Creators" Legion suddenly asked.

Shepard grimaced. What the hell was he supposed to say? He glanced at the Admirals and noticed they apparent resolve on the matter. They all probably shared the same thought: eradicate the Geth. Only Zaal'Korris would probably think differently… but Shepard was no fool. The civilians might support him but at the same time knowing full well that if push came to shove, the Civilians could easily pressure their Admiral to fight to reclaim their home-world, especially when it was within their grasp.

"There will be a cease fire" Shepard told the Admirals.

"No, there won't be such a thing. We will repay the crimes of the Geth on our Ancestors" Han'Gerrel proclaimed.

"Then you'll take your world back only to lose it, this time under the wrath of the Reapers" Shepard sighed. "I've seen the Geth fleet. While you could probably take it with your countermeasures, the Geth, as our allies, would be invaluable in our war against the Reapers".

"They are machines, Shepard!" Daro'Xen exclaimed. "Why in the Ancestors' providence would they even bother helping us?"

"You might not like it, but when it comes to the Reapers we either come all together or we are all going to die" Shepard said. "You weren't on Earth. You think you will be able to take them down when they show up? Do you think when you couldn't beat the Geth that the Reapers will be any easier?" The Quarians remained quiet, silently conceding the point. "If you carry on and destroy the Geth after they are exposed… you will regret it when they fall onto your people, showering you with death and destruction. It happened on Earth and by Hell it will happen to you".

"Fine" Han'Gerrel muttered, reluctant. "We will abstain from any further hostilities… until we deal with the Reapers".

Shepard knew that the argument was far from over. Even Tali, with the way she silently wrung her hands, was probably planning on doing something entirely different to being peaceful with the Geth. They weren't idiots. They knew where Shepard stood in the argument. Why would they bother arguing with him? Odds were, Legion was probably coming up with schemes and plan of his own.

"Alright, I guess I'll go to sleep and recover from this mission" Shepard decided, sighing. He was tired after all.

"By your leave then" Shala'Raan respectfully nodded.

One by one, the Admirals filed out of the War Room, all eyeing Legion suspiciously. Even Zaal'Korris, outspoken peace-maker, was weary of Legion. Daro'Xen, on the other hand, was more… creepy.

"Shepard-Commander, we will waiting outside this room to provide with all the information you will require for the mission" Legion said. "We would also require of a private audience".

"Understood" Shepard responded.

Legion simply turned around and marched off, leaving the Commander with Tali.

"W-were you serious, Shepard? A cease-fire?" Tali sounded strained, and conflicted.

Shepard sighed, a hand reaching out to take hold of one of hers. She absentmindedly allowed the man to caress her hand as she stared into his eyes, seeking for the truth.

"I want you to have Rannoch, Tali… but you need to see the big picture. Even if you reclaim the home-world now, what's stopping the Reapers from finishing you off?" Shepard said.

"We have the weapon capabilities to withstand a Reaper invasion" Tali stated.

"No, you don't. Building Missile silos would take perhaps too long and the Reapers will bulldoze over your defence fleets. If that isn't enough, they will flood Rannoch with Husks and right now your people can't fight a ground war. Besides, you are missing the point. Even if you could defend against the Reapers, then what? You'll hold Rannoch while the rest of the Galaxy burns?" Shepard replied.

His hand snaked around her waist and slowly pulling her to him as she silently considered what he had just said. By the way her shoulder slumped, she understood where he was headed. She closed her eyes, her head resting over his chest, relishing the moment of his embrace.

"Billions of humans are stuck on Earth… if we don't hurry, they will be lost for good" Shepard said, saddened by the truth "and that's not to mention the billions of Batarians on Kar'Shan. The Reapers don't need to start harvesting. Their Indoctrination alone will ensure our home-worlds will be forever theirs…"

"Shepard" Tali whispered, sympathetic of her lover's plight. "You are right. We need the Geth fleet…"

The two remained there, hugging. As uncomfortable as being within his armour was, Shepard liked the feeling, the protectiveness of his being as he wrapped Tali with his arms.

"We should rest" Tali sighed blissfully, suddenly giggling. "EDI said the cabin is ready…"

There was no need to ask what EDI had meant. Shepard knew too well what Tali was referring to, and he couldn't help feeling a bit too excited all of a sudden.

"You head up and I'll check if Hackett is available for com – he'll want a report… and I need to talk to Legion" Shepard sighed.

"Don't take too long" Tali purred, a bold hand brushing gently over his chest, the mere stroke of her fingers a soundless promise of endless pleasure. Shepard's blood boiled, impatient.

"Go on, off you go" Shepard playfully slapped Tali's butt, making her yelp. He chuckled, as she glared half-heartedly at him, a glint of mischief glimmering on her eyes.

"Shepard…" Tali warned, her voice dripping with desire.

"I'll be there – I promise" Shepard whispered.

"Bosh'tet" Tali huffed. "Don't take too long" she added, walking away. Shepard's eyes were stuck on that butt of hers, seeing her sway her hips more than usual. The way she glanced back at him over the steps, told Shepard she was teasing him… and damn it was working on him – that minx…

Shepard shook his head. Tali would be the end of him. With a spring in his step, he walked up the stairs of the com room, praying to God that Hackett was truly unavailable. A part of him wanted to go and deal with it later – thanks to Tali – but there were duties to deal with. He approached the communication room, shaking his head with disapproval at the lack of separation from the War Room. Who in their right mind had designed things in such a way? At least EDI had made sure there were no bugs remaining. Unfortunately, EDI herself admitted her scanning methods weren't infallible and she was well aware of bugs that could elude her…

"Hackett is currently unavailable, Shepard" EDI reported.

"Good" Shepard grinned. He turned around, his heart beating. After so long…

"Shepard…"

The man froze on his step. What the… he snapped his head and turned around, unable to comprehend what was going on. For a moment, he thought he had imagined that voice. However, when his eyes laid on the source, he had to swallow his disbelief and fight his shock. There, standing comfortable with an expensive tuxedo and smoking a cigar, was one person Shepard wanted both to talk to and strangle: the Illusive Man.

The stance of the leader of Cerberus was relaxed, almost as if pleased. He had a rather regal demeanour, but there was a dangerous edge to his movements – a calculative glint in his synthetic glowing blue eyes that betrayed his scheming ways. The Illusive Man might have as well sauntered into the room with the smugness he gave off. That smirk of his didn't help; it irked Shepard tremendously.

"What the Hell? How is it…?" Shepard frowned, confused. It didn't take long for something to click in the Commander's head and for his eyes to widen. "Quantum entanglement…"

"Ah, so you remember" the Illusive Man replied with a firm nod and a friendly, yet reserved, smile. "As long as you keep your device and I keep mine here, the Normandy will always be connected to my current location".

That meant that the Alliance hadn't removed the Quantum Entanglement device… what made sense. Those things were expensive and hard to build, not to mention the fact that it could be upgraded to include new connections.

"I should have known" Shepard grumbled, folding his arms. As much as he hated to admit it, this was a unique opportunity to final get some answer. "You caught me at a bad time" he half-heartedly grunted.

"Yes, I would imagine you will probably be on your way to finally re-unite with your lover" the Illusive Man said, waving a dismissive hand. Shepard gritted his teeth. "I'm surprised you didn't attempt to speak with me earlier, but no matter. Now we can speak freely".

"What do you want?" Shepard sighed.

"Why, I simply wanted to offer you to re-join Cerberus" the Illusive Man stated calmly. "It isn't too late, Commander – humanity needs of you, now more than ever".

"I was never part of your organization to begin with and I have no plans of joining it now" Shepard grunted.

"And yet you don't appear to be so driven against my men" the man hummed, taunting the Commander. "As a matter of fact, some might argue you have been helping my organization". He sighed, as if weary about the Commander's resistance. "Shepard, I gave you a new, better Normandy, endless resources and even improved you… and I even left your personality and free will untouched. I believed in you when few others did. Better yet, I actually invested – gambled even – on you. I knew you could get to the Collector's base and take it over. Who else could have said the same? Haven't I done enough to earn your trust?"

The Commander gritted his teeth. Sadly, much to Shepard's chagrin, he found himself unable to formulate a response. After all, as much as he hated it, the Illusive Man had given Shepard a thousand fold what the Alliance had ever provided the Commander. Moreover, working alongside the Illusive Man had been a hell-of-a-lot better: Shepard had a lot of freedom to act, less restrictions, a handful extra luxuries and, more importantly, the chance to actually work against the Reapers and Collectors. He truly doubted he might have had the same opportunities with the Alliance… something that was painful to admit.

"After everything I did for you, you still distrust me?" The Illusive Man, with faux hurt, wondered. "You are still holding onto an ill-conceived grudge, Commander?"

"We might have had a common goal. Not anymore. Right now, while I am bleeding myself to keep order and fight the Reapers, you seem hell-bent on screwing everyone" Shepard replied angrily. "What the hell was the point of so much death? Why did you try to kill the Council?" He folded his arms, daring the Illusive Man to come up with a good explanation.

The leader of Cerberus sobered at that. For a moment, the two remained quiet. The Commander expectantly waited for the other man to formulate some excuse while the other seemed to be most in his own musings. In the end, the Illusive Man smoked a bit from his cigar, before exhaling an answer alongside a cloud of grey smoke.

"I'll admit that from your point of view my men's actions had been… heinous" the Illusive Man conceded with a dismissive tone. "However, once you see the bigger picture, you will understand".

"Understand what? That you indoctrinate your own people? That you treat them like your own test-subjects?" Shepard hissed. "You have lost the plot. There is no way you can justify what Cerberus has been up to. Now is the time to unite, not break away".

"If only it was that easy…" sighed the Illusive Man. "Your former companions understood that they had a greater purpose. Why can't you see that?"

Shepard glared at the Illusive Man, reminded of the friends that had joined Cerberus. "What did you do to Thane? To Kasumi? To Zaeed?" He growled.

"Why do you believe I did anything?" Was the haughty response from Cerberus' leader. "For all you, they might have joined my cause out of their own volition".

"Unlikely" Shepard spat. "I've seen your handy work, the hundreds of innocent lives you have ended. Mars, Eden Prime, Sur'Kesh, the Citadel… anywhere I found your minions all I saw was death and destruction – they would have never joined up with you willingly".

"One day, Shepard, I'll make you understand and – you'll see – you'll be regretting not taking my offer now". The Illusive Man was far from disappointed, if anything he was amused. It came to a point Shepard wondered if the Illusive Man wasn't delusional. "You are delaying the inevitable, Commander. Sooner or later, you will join Cerberus" he said with a smirk. "I rather if it was sooner, but not everything goes as we want".

"You sound too sure" Shepard squinted at the Illusive Man.

"Because it is a fact" the Illusive Man chuckled, irking the Commander. "In the end, everything will be made clear and you will lead humanity into a new era as part of Cerberus. That would be all, Shepard. Just…" his smirk widened, almost devilishly "think about".

"Wait!" Shepard exclaimed as the hologram vanished.

He stared at the wall of the projector. But it was too late, the hologram had dissipated. With a loud roar, he slammed his fists on the console. What the hell had just happened? Had the Illusive Man have come to taunt him? Why was he so sure…? No, the Illusive Man was playing with him. He had to. Shepard snorted, morose. There was no way he would end up joining Cerberus.

With a weary sigh, Shepard took a moment to regain his composure. He was too tired and grumpy to deal with the Illusive Man at the moment… no, he needed Tali.

The Commander walked out of the War Room, finding Legion standing right outside the conference room. Shepard gestured him to follow.

"We'll talk later, alright? I have some… business to attend" Shepard told the Geth.

"Understood – when will you be available?" Legion inquired.

"In a few hours, probably" Shepard replied as they walked into the Command Centre. "Legion, stay here with Traynor". The Communications' specialist blinked at him, surprised. "I want Legion to be held somewhere isolated. Talk with EDI to find that place, understood?" Samantha nodded, still unable to overcome her surprise. "Good, off I go" he turned around and hurried to the elevator, leaving a very dumbfounded Traynor studying a patient Geth who stared back. She was unnerved under the synthetic's gaze.

Shepard anxiously walked out of the elevator and, rather impatiently, activated the decontamination protocols. He felt his muscles tense, and his heart drummed in his chest. It had been so long since he had last shared intimacy with Tali… it felt like an eternity. Heck, it was a torturous and never-ending living hell before the decontamination systems ended and Shepard entered the cabin proper.

The first thing Shepard noticed was how different the room was. A lot had been moved, probably cleaned by EDI, and the sheets had been changed – all properly sterilized. He could feel the new better filters running. Then, there was Tali. She was clad in her environmental suit, giving her back to him.

"That was quick…" Tali hummed with approval, turning around.

Shepard smirked as he noticed how she was no longer wearing her purple shaded visor, exposing her beautiful face to him. Her face was almost too human to be true. With thin pale lips and lilac skin, the most alien thing on her where the thick lines on her face. Tali smiled warmly at him, pulling her hood back as Shepard removed his helmet. Her two bone triangular crests, pressed flat against her scalp and the growing long raven hair, looked like horns. Two bat-like pointed ears without a hanging lobule, flickered with delight at their newfound freedom, barely any bigger than human ears.

The Commander walked over to Tali, unable to remove his cybernetic eyes from her glowing pupil-less own. She reached out to his armour - her smile turning into a devious grin - holding tightly against it as Shepard wrapped his arms around her. They closed their eyes, and, slowly, leant forward. Their foreheads met. Suddenly, there were no Reapers, no Geth, no Illusive Man, no Wars or destruction… there was only… them.

Shepard tilted his head and kissed her, the electrifying feel of his lips touching hers run through his spine. Tali hummed with delight, pressing on, before she moved to rub her cheek against his, only to lean back and kiss the Commander passionately. Opening their eyes, they shared an intimate smile.

"I missed this" Tali giggled, grinning. "Come on you Bosh'Tet!" She cried out, forcibly shoving Shepard to the bed. The man was far from surprised, laughing, as he fell backwards on the bed. Before he could react, Tali straddled him, hands clasping at each side of his head and kissing him.

Shepard, grinning, spun around, pulling Tali under him. His hands run the full length of her back, from legs to shoulder, making the woman purr like a cat.

"Shepard…" Tali moaned.

"Let's get off these suits" Shepard suggested, his nose moving over her neck, making her shudder with pleasure at the contact.

"No need to tell me twice!" Tali huskily chuckled.

All in all, it was good to have Tali back in his life.

* * *

Commander Shepard opened his eyes, momentarily disoriented. Where was he? He blinked, staring at a familiar ceiling. With a smile, he quickly remembered: the Normandy, on his cabin. He looked at the head that placidly rested on his chest under the sheets as he noticed a purple-skinned arm wrapped possessively over his torso. Shepard grinned at Tali's cute form, so peaceful and angelical. Under his gaze, she snuggled against him, groaning a bit.

"You awake?" Shepard asked softly.

"Yes" Tali grumbled, sluggishly looking up at him. Her other hand swept from underneath the sheets and down her chin, holding her head up. A triumphant smirk adorned the quarian female's face. "So totally worth it…" she murmured, her eyes lost in recent memories.

"Feeling alright?" Shepard wondered with a smile.

"A mild headache" Tali replied "and maybe -" SNEEZE "a blocked nose… but it could have been worse".

"Bless you" Shepard chuckled as Tali moved closer to him.

He looked at her, his heart missing a beat. For one reason or another, he was reminded of Akriel and his offer. Wouldn't it be truly worth it to be alone, far away from any fighting, with only Tali at his side? Well, no, he did want children of his own, as probably did Tali. A future ruled by Reapers was not exactly a nice option for their children.

And yet… could the Alliance and Council actually defeat the Reapers? They were rather negligent or underestimating the situation. They were incompetent and over their heads in all of this… still, who else could take the mantle, the role to defeat the Reapers? Cerberus?

And suddenly, Shepard's mood faltered. So the Thannar Missiles had been created by the Quarians. However, Shepard could not see the Quarians bothering assisting the Krogan actually building missile silos, or any reason why the Quarians would even give the missiles for the Krogan. The Migrant Fleet had always been insular in nature and isolated by choice. Moreover, there was little to gain for the quarians by helping arm the Krogans. Cerberus, on the other hand, had clearly wanted to stick it up to the Council for ages now… and so had the quarians.

An alliance between Cerberus and Quarians wasn't that farfetched either and that terrified Shepard. Between the quarians hell-bent on retaking Rannoch and Cerberus open to allies, who knew what they have created together? He had seen quarians in Cerberus armours, fighting alongside Cerberus troopers, after all. After aiding the Krogan, were the quarians such an unlikely ally for Cerberus?

"Is something troubling you?" Tali asked.

Shepard turned to her, seeing her beautiful face marred with concern. Her glowing eyes shone with worry, reaching out to share his troubles with her.

"Tali, I -" Shepard hesitated. Was it proper to bring this up now? Now of all times? They had finally re-united! But no, he had to do it. He needed answers. Sadly, looking into her eyes, he was unable to bring himself to accuse the Quarians of treason. "The Illusive Man managed to contact me…" he quickly diverted, feeling his heart ache at that. He had to be brave and confront Tali… later, right now he needed her with him.

"He did?" Tali blinked at him, surprised.

"Yeah, Quantum Entanglement. Can't believe I actually forgot about how it worked" Shepard chuckled, shaking his head. "I should have seen it coming".

"What did he say?" Tali wondered.

Shepard sighed. "He wants me to re-join Cerberus" he scoffed. "Heck, he seemed convinced I would eventually do so… probably called just to taunt me".

Tali hummed, deep in thought, as she started to caress Shepard's bare chest. "So…?" She asked softly.

"So? It isn't everyday my arch-nemesis calls to ask me to join his little evil club" Shepard huffed.

Tali hummed again. Slowly, and smiling, she moved over him, allowing Shepard to witness her naked body underneath the sheets, before she pressed her bosom against his chest, their faces almost touching. A coy smile adorned her angelic face as her glowing lilac eyes fixated on the cybernetic vibrant crimson ones of her lover.

"Why wouldn't you want to join Cerberus?" Tali wondered.

Shepard blinked, shocked, before his breath was taken away by Tali kissing his neck. It was hard to think with the minx distracting him like that.

"Well" Shepard spluttered, Tali pecking his chin. "They- they are indoctrinated".

"Are they?" Tali wondered, her face looming over his before kissing him tenderly.

"I don't know" Shepard sighed, his hands – with a mind of their own – exploring Tali's soft body, boldly traversing the smooth sea of skin. "They have been doing some weird things, a lot that I just… I just don't understand".

"I don't know about Indoctrinated… but they sure are terrorist bosh'tets" Tali conceded with a purr, enjoying Shepard's ministrations. "They've destroyed so much, they have attacked almost indiscriminately and they have been killing hundreds of innocents…"

"And you ask why I would join them?" Shepard grinned at her before their lips met once again.

Tali leaned back, her chest barely touching his skin as their eyes locked. "Aside from the massacres they've committed, I don't think Cerberus is that bad – they did try to get rid of the Council" she smirked at him, teasing the Commander. Who knew Tali had such dark humour? It was no secret quarians in general held strong disdain for the Council as a whole, but this was a bit unlike Tali. "Besides, they do know how to build ships" she grinned. "I wouldn't mind some upgrades to this one…"

"I knew that's where you were going" Shepard laughed as he grabbed her and rolled over, bringing Tali beneath him. She laughed all the way. "You'll have to do with what've got" he added before kissing her on her neck, making her moan. Her legs and arms wrapped around her as she started purring like a feline, a sign she was getting excited.

"Shepard"

Both Tali and Shepard groaned as EDI's voice interrupted their little moment. Tali pouted while Shepard sent an apologetic look at her. She really didn't want him to stop… and neither did he.

"Yes, EDI?" Shepard replied.

"Dr T'soni and Legion have requested your presence in Dr T'soni's chambers. Diana Allers has also wanted me to remind you she wanted a private interview for her show" EDI told the Commander.

Shepard groaned louder. "I suppose this can't wait, can it?"

"You've been within the confines of your cabin for over twelve hours" EDI replied. "The crew is expecting you to be active by now".

"Twelve hours?!" Shepard exclaimed.

"Keelah" Tali gasped, also surprised. The couple traded baffled looks.

"We – I'll be down right away" Shepard reluctantly told the AI.

"Understood" EDI replied. "Logging you out".

The two remained how they had been moments before, knowing they had to detach from each other's embrace. The reluctance was palpable between them. While they traded silent promises of more, they didn't move.

"Well… I guess we have to call it a day" Shepard sighed. "Although I wouldn't mind some company in the shower…"

Tali's response was a mischievous purr, and a very loud sneeze.

* * *

Commander Shepard and Tali walked out of the elevator with smiles on their faces and feeling well rested. After so many hours, it wasn't that surprising, and it was clear now that they had both needed some good relaxation. As they turned around the elevator towards the mess, they were somewhat surprised to find a small crowd there.

"Well, well, well, look what was washed ashore" Doctors Chakwas smiled impishly at the coming couple. Next to her, Joker looked up from his plate and smirked at the pair.

"Catching up much?" The pilot teased. "We might have felt some turbulence some time ago…" with a mischievous grin he added "a lot of shaking".

Ashley and James, both seated opposite the doctor and the pilot, chortled, alongside the rest of the present crewmates. Steve Cortez was standing over the counter a few feet away, apparently cooking something while random crewmates stood around the mess, chatting or paying attention to the conversation.

"Managed to release some pent up stress, Commander?" Chakwas carried on with her devious smirk. She could be awful at times.

"He probably released more than stress" James laughed.

"Urgh, Vega, you are disgusting" Ashley spat, chocking on her food.

"Don't listen to him. He's just jealous he hasn't gotten any action with the ladies" Steve said from where he was.

"Oh, shut up, Esteban" James grunted.

"Where's Garrus and Nyreen?" Shepard wondered as Tali sat next to Ashley. He remained standing behind her and angling his body towards Liara's room.

"The other source of turbulence?" The pilot joker.

"Nyreen has been at the Main Cannon room with Garrus some time now after she received treatment" Chakwas retold, rolling her eyes.

"What about Kal'Reegar?" Tali asked, concerned.

"Recuperating. That seal puncture will keep him in the med-bay for a day or two" Chakwas sighed, all signs of cheerfulness leaving her.

"He's a tough bastard. He'll pull through" Shepard stated confidently.

"The last time he acted tough he went critical – was forced to a bed for over a week" Tali grunted. "Seriously, males can be reckless at times – all that bravado and honour getting into their heads…"

"Ha, something you share with humans then" Ashley scoffed.

"Agreed" Chakwas nodded.

"Hey!" Joker, James, Cortez and Shepard protested with synchronized indignation.

"Well, I'm off" Shepard sighed. He gently bumped his helmet with Tali's visor, the closest thing they could do as a kiss, before he walked away.

"Awwww" Ashley cooed.

"I miss my boyfriend now" Chakwas sighed with resignation.

While Shepard was really tempted to stand around and hear all about Doctor Chakwas' boyfriend, as well as the way James appeared to be chocking on a large piece of military rations, Shepard proceeded over to Liara's room. Inside, everything was like he recalled, except, of course, the Geth in the room.

"Shepard, it's good to see you" Liara smiled shyly at him as she turned on her seat to look at him. Over her shoulder, Legion turned his bright optic at the Commander.

"Shepard-Commander" Legion greeted.

"You wanted to talk to be about something?" Shepard asked.

"Wait, before that" Liara stood up and hurried to a terminal near the door. The door immediately locked itself and a loud beep resonated across the room. "Alright, no one can listen to us now".

"Not even EDI?" Shepard pondered.

"Not even her" Liara nodded.

"Eh… that's against procedure, Liara" he told the asari.

"I'm sorry, Shepard, but I do deal here with dangerous and delicate information as the Shadow Broker" Liara rebutted. "Shepard, there is something we needed to tell you".

"We?" Shepard eyed Legion, who stood unmoved. "Alright…" he folded his arms, tilting his head with confusion. "What is it?" Why did he have the impression he was NOT going to like this? At all?

"I – I don't know how to start" Liara admitted, nervous, as she timidly rubbed her arm. "Shepard, have you wondered how Cerberus has been able to gain so much power recently? How they increased their fleets and production almost overnight?"

Shepard slowly nodded. For some reason, he was now sure he was not going to like the answer. Liara took a deep breath and hurried over to her terminal, urging Shepard to walk over there to. He did so, each step burying a sense of dread in the pit of his gut. It was with an ominous knot inside that the Commander stood over Liara's shoulder, dreading what she would say.

"Legion – I mean, the Geth – have found the missing link" Liara said, bringing something on her terminal and playing it.

" _-ion as planned, but we will be requiring more metals to finish construction_ " the voice of Daro'Xen resonated across the room, filling Shepard's entire being with shock.

" _I'll ensure to increase the metals on the next shipment then_ " Shepard's eyes widened. The Illusive Man. " _Just make sure you fulfil your end of the bargain…_ "

" _What are you going to do with the Alliance? These raids are disrupting our operations everywhere!_ " Now there was a surprise, the voice of Zaal'Korris.

" _We need those ships for the reclamation of Rannoch_ " Han'Gerrel added, almost growling. Alright, it was not good to hear the two male Admirals agreeing on something; it was disturbing.

" _Let me handle the Alliance. You focus on the construction of our ships_ " The Illusive Man retorted reassuringly.

" _What about Shepard?_ " Shepard felt his heart skip a beat. Just when he felt he couldn't be any more surprised, this had to happen. Tali " _We need to-_ "

Silence. Shepard stood there, disbelieving. The quarians and Cerberus… they had been trading and working together? This evidence was damning and more than obvious on what they had been up to, the two factions.

"We were unable to intercept more" Legion stated.

"Shepard…" Liara said softly, sympathetic towards the man. Without much thought, she reached out and took hold of Shepard's hand, offering what little reassurance and comfort she could.

Her face said it all. There was a lot of concern in her sapphire gaze, but also a lot of love. Shepard could easily see the woman who went out of her way to assist Cerberus – swallowing her pride in the process – reclaiming Shepard's corpse for his revival. There was strength, and passion… the very same Shepard had once taken to like a moth to a flame. She didn't know it, but her touch did have a positive effect on the Commander, and he was thankful for it.

And suddenly the words of the Illusive Man made sense. Tali, like the rest of the quarians, were with Cerberus. The Illusive Man knew that Tali was Shepard's weakness. She probably would try to convince Shepard to join Cerberus… or would be the reason he would join the organization. Damn it! Why did he let his guard down?

"A-Are you sure about this?" Shepard gulped, sweating profoundly. This couldn't be true – and yet he was absolutely sure that the Quarians had been in cahoots with Cerberus.

"That is correct. Our patrols have been attempting to locate the quarian source of new resources and the location of their Migrant Fleet. While we were unable to locate either, we were able to find the meeting ground for representative ships that served as communication relays for the Illusive Man and the Admiralty Board" Legion explained.

Shepard felt… lost. What was he supposed to do now? Betray the quarians? No, he needed to defeat the Reaper on Rannoch first, release its hold on the Geth before doing… anything. He gritted his teeth. How had they come to this? As if sensing his distress, Liara's hold on his hand only grew as did the love on her face. She empathized with his pain. That much he could see.

"Shepard, I know you won't believe…"

"I do" Shepard interrupted Liara, with an air of defeat. "I had… feared as much. With quarians seen openly working with Cerberus, the sudden influx of Cerberus fleets and weapons… resources disappearing only to reappear as military assets… it explains so much…" Shepard sighed, resigned. "Yeah, I saw it coming".

Cerberus had gone to the Krogan for support. They, like the Quarians, had been bitter and grumpy people who felt alienated by the Council. It made sense Cerberus would try the same with the Quarians. As a matter of fact, he HAD feared and considered such a possibility… one he had buried in the depths of his mind with Tali taking precedence. Hadn't he talked this over with EDI? He had, but a childish part of him didn't want to see it.

"What are we going to do, Shepard?" Liara asked. "We can't help the quarians. They are in league with the Illusive Man!"

 _Like the Krogan_ , the Commander realized. He had to hand it to the Illusive Man, he certainly knew how to pick his allies.

"I know" Shepard grunted. "But right now there is a Reaper on Rannoch who has control of all of the Geth. If we don't help, that fleet will overwhelm us all".

"Shepard-Commander is correct" Legion agreed. "Diniel is our top priority. Quarians are unaware of our revelation. That gives us a tactical advantage".

"We should inform the Alliance and Council" Liara said. "Once we've dealt with the Reaper, we should capture the Admirals and hold them for interrogation".

"What? No!" Shepard exclaimed, outraged. How could she even propose that?

"Shepard, I don't know if you understand this but right now Cerberus is the only thing standing between us and defeating the Reapers as a united force" Liara stated bluntly, taking Shepard aback. "The Crucible is well on its way to completion and Cerberus is ceaselessly trying to sabotage all our efforts, from training troops to concentrating on upgrading our defences on colonies. Your people – humanity – cannot… no, will not survive this war unless we deal with Cerberus".

The Commander looked at the ground, shoulders slumping. God… why? Liara was right. Shepard had to start focusing on Cerberus and take them down before they grew too strong. As much as he hated to say it, he needed to serve the Alliance and put aside his feelings over anything else. The galaxy depended on him. He couldn't fail them.

"Shepard-Commander, perhaps it would be better to continue this conversation after we have found Diniel's location and we have a plan to destroy the Old Machine" Legion suggested.

"Yeah, that would be best" Shepard nodded slowly.

What the hell was he going to do? Be loyal to the woman he loved… or loyal to his people? In the end, as much as he loved Tali, he had a duty to follow. Humanity had to come first… What the hell was he supposed to do now?

* * *

 **Author Notes: As always, I would appreciate your reviews and opinion if possible! I'd like to hear what you think about the story thus far and I am open to any interesting ideas you might have.**

 **With any luck, I'll have the next chapter up next week.**

 **Cheers,**

 **The Emerald Commander**


	17. Chapter V: The World Inside Shannae

**Chapter V: The World Inside Shannae  
**

"So our suspicions have been confirmed" Hackett muttered as he thoughtfully stroke his chin.

A morose Shepard stared at the console, holding himself up. At the moment, he felt… lost. His body seemed to weigh a tone as he discussed the latest revelation with the Admiral. It was as if the darkness in the communication room would consume him at any moment. Then again, he had been restless for hours now, haunted by his mind and its thoughts.

"This complicates matters" Hackett's blue hologram gruffly added as he carefully studied Shepard, straightening up.

"How should we proceed?" Shepard asked, despondently. He looked up at the Admiral, exhausted.

The Admiral took a long, pained moment to look at Shepard, before sighing in defeat. He shook his head as his shoulders slumped.

"I'm at a loss here" the older man admitted. "I am not sure what our best course of action is".

Shepard mentally snorted. How did he thought the Commander was taking the latest revelations?

"On the one hand, we must deal with the Geth. You were right on our last talk: it's imperative that we deal with the Geth before the Reapers actually mobilize them" the Admiral wearily said as he examined their situation. "On the other hand… we can't support the Quarians. Our worst fears have been confirmed: the quarians are behind Cerberus'…" he paused, considering his next words carefully "…growth spurt. Aiding them will inevitably mean they will aid Cerberus further, and that will affect the Alliance".

Shepard frowned, as he folded his arms. "Why haven't the Reapers mobilized the Geth?" He hummed thoughtfully. "I know I'm going off track here, sir, but…"

"No, you're right. There is something off with the way the Reapers have been acting" Hackett shuffled on his feet, face hardening. "By our estimations, if they wanted, they could easily overwhelm Palaven right now and be done with the Turian military within days. After that, the rest of the Galaxy would pretty much be theirs for the taking".

"And yet they haven't attacked any systems" Shepard hummed. "It's rather fishy that they have only left one Reaper, a Destroyer class at that, on Rannoch. At first I thought the Reapers might be cautious. I mean, we are a different cycle than the ones prior, having stopped Sovereign and all. Still, it is almost as if-"

"They were waiting for something. Indeed, Commander, Command – myself included – all agree on that" Hackett interrupted, nodding morosely. "The question is… what? And for how long?"

"Could they be waiting for an all-out Human Civil war?" Shepard suggested.

"It can't be just that" the Admiral shook his head. "Human space is too small for such a civil war to influence the Asari, Salarians and Turians. Even the Volus have much more of an impact than we do".

"Indoctrination, perhaps?" Shepard tried.

"That's what the Alliance Leadership has concluded: the Reapers are working on indoctrinating every single human on Earth before their next move" Hackett sighed. "We should have seen it coming. With an indoctrinated population, they could have an entire army available for them".

"And people to harvest. Heck, they could make the entirety of humanity focus on reproducing" Shepard shuddered at the thought. "With Earth alone they could build back any lost Reapers – and accompanying legions of Husks".

"It makes sense, I suppose… in a rather morbid fashion" Hackett conceded with disgust. "To them, we are little better than bacteria – which brings us to the main topic: why haven't the Reapers made use of the Geth? I can understand not mobilizing themselves – to some degree – but the Geth were treated as pawns, canon-fodder even. What has changed?"

The two remained quiet, silently pondering on the issue on their own. There were many possibilities, a lot of guesswork involved. However, they both couldn't deny that it would be impossible to determine the truth until it was too late.

"We might never know" Shepard grumbled, frustrated. Between Cerberus and the Reapers, Shepard really felt out of his depth in the war. It was as if both factions had schemes well beyond his comprehension, and that was annoying, to say the least. "Still… I think we should worry on the quarians and Geth for the time being".

"What a mess" Hackett spat with disdain. "The Illusive Man has once again outsmarted all of us. This alliance with the quarians was a stroke of genius. Unless we do something, Shepard, the quarians might keep strengthening Cerberus". He closed his eyes, exhaling a breath of worry and exasperation. "What really concerns me, however, is you".

"Me?" Shepard dumbly mumbled, blankly blinking repeatedly at the Admiral.

The Admiral crossed his arms over his chest with a face that bared little patience. Hackett wasn't fooling around here. This was, after all, a serious matter.

"You mean…" Shepard quickly realized what the older man was alluding to. With great shame, he looked downwards. "Tali…"

"The last time I ordered you to go against a friend of yours, you disobeyed my commands and actually managed to ruin what little good relations humanity had with the Council" Hackett hissed accusingly, squinting at Shepard with anger. "I am not an idiot, Shepard. If you were willing to risk everything on a distant friend like Urdnot Wrex, I fear to imagine what you might do for you loved one. The fact you have admitted aiding the Quarians doesn't help your case".

"What do you want me to do?!" Shepard shouted, turning around so as to start pacing. He couldn't remain standing, not with the fury that flooded into his veins. "I thought I was doing what was best for all of us! How was I supposed to know things would turn the way they did?!"

"I know you don't want to hear this, Commander, but I don't think your ideals will survive this war" Hackett calmly offered with a soothing tone. "I understand where you are coming from, and I should have known better than to place the interests of the Alliance over your own moral code… however…" he paused, grimacing "this is a war the likes of which will scar the entire Galaxy. We are talking about doomsday dreadnaughts hell-bent on harvesting our species".

"Do you think I don't want to make hard choices?!" Shepard yelled, enraged. He stomped his way over to the console, slamming his palms over the innocent terminal in front of an impassive Admiral. "It seems the Galaxy is hell-bent on having me make all the tough decisions!"

Hackett sighed tiredly. "Commander, please…" he pleaded. "I didn't intend to accuse you of anything. Right now, I need you to calm down". His voice, while soft, held a warning edge to it.

Shepard, remembering he was in the presence of a commanding officer, closed his eyes and took a deep breath. With the intake of fresh air came a wave of tranquillity. Sadly, he was still fuming. What Hackett didn't know what that Shepard had been losing his mind struggling with the truth. Of all the people to have been betrayed, he hadn't expected Tali.

Tali, the Quarian he had done so much for, even given his very soul and life for her… and that was how he was repaid. It was like being stabbed – repeatedly. Worse yet, was the fact Shepard wouldn't let go. He couldn't. His mind reminded Shepard - almost to a maddening degree – what she had done, but his heart was steadfast on devoting himself to Tali. Had their union been a mistake? Had she betrayed him without queries or did she struggle as much as he was at the moment?

The doubts, the myriad of thoughts… they were torturing Shepard's every waking second. He could even feel his cybernetic burning through his flesh as the stress of the situation mounted up. This was a situation he didn't see coming out as a victor, regardless what he did.

"The Illusive Man" Shepard suddenly remembered, his body going slack with realization.

"What about him?" Hackett wondered, momentarily confused.

"He contacted me… through the Quantum Entanglement device" Shepard stated. He looked at his hands, the pieces of the puzzle mentally falling onto place. "He was sure I would join Cerberus…"

"I knew that we should have gotten rid of that device… Considering what we know now, I'm not surprised the Illusive Man would be so certain." Hackett muttered. "As a matter of fact, I have my concerns in regards to that…"

"You shouldn't worry" Shepard growled, glaring at Hackett. "I will never join those bastards".

"I will hold you to that" the Admiral hummed, nodding at the Commanding with proud approval. "In any case, Shepard, this still leaves us with a rather… complicated situation".

"That's an understatement" Shepard snorted.

"As I said before, aiding the quarians is out of the question. However…" here Shepard scrunched his face with exasperation as he covered his face with a hand, frustrated. "The Geth aren't a more viable solution either. They have been trouble, Shepard – and I don't like how little things add up with them".

Shepard could only agree with the Admiral. He nodded, exhausted. All the emotional turmoil was starting to drain the man, and it was not something he could call pleasant.

"You mean Legion" Shepard commented.

"Yes, your… friend" Hackett slowly replied. "Why did the Reapers leave him untouched? Why wasn't he terminated when his usefulness was finished? Or why wasn't he assimilated with the rest of the Geth collective? There are so many questions left unanswered…"

"So…" Shepard took a deep breath. "We are between a rock and a hard place. It's either take the side of the Quarians, which will certainly lead up to a stronger Cerberus, or take the side of the Geth, who might be up to something…"

"Or worse, they are following a scheme made by the Reapers" Hackett suggested. "But yes, that would summarize our current predicament".

"You forgot the worst part" Shepard grumbled. "We HAVE to do something. Otherwise, the Geth will remain under the control of the Reapers and be used against us – making both the Geth AND the Quarians our enemies".

"Yes" Hackett morosely agreed. He suddenly hummed thoughtfully "or perhaps there's another option we have yet to consider…"

Shepard tilted his head, raising an eyebrow.

"You will soon head down to Shannae in order to infiltrate a Geth information server" Hackett recounted. Shepard nodded, wondering where his superior officer was heading to. "Shepard, this is a unique opportunity. If you can, try to get as much intel as possible about the Geth. What little there is about the quarians could be useful as well. There could be answers there we've been looking for – perhaps even show us something we have been missing".

"I doubt that" Shepard grunted.

"It's still the only thing you can do" Hackett pointed out, much to the Commander's chagrin.

"What should I do about the Quarians?" With a heavy-heart, he added "about Tali and Kal'Reegar?"

"This will be hard for me to ask but, for the time being, play along" Hackett sighed once again. "Don't give away that you have discovered the Quarians' secret, at least not yet. I rather have more information before we do anything, that and there is no telling how the Quarians might respond if they are made aware of what we know".

The Quarians were friendly for the time-being. However, if they were on Cerberus' side and they discovered that the little secret had been reveal, they might actually return to Cerberus side. That didn't spell anything good to the Alliance.

Shepard grimaced. "That's… not going to be easy…" just thinking about having to treat Tali as he had done before the fateful discovery made him hesitate. Could he bring himself to act as nothing was wrong?

"I know" Hackett gravely nodded. "Hold on a bit longer, Shepard".

"I'll try…" Shepard mumbled. "I'll do my best, sir" he weakly offered.

"I know you will" the Admiral confidently declared. "Hackett out".

With that, the hologram vanished, leaving Shepard alone in the darkened communications room. Not even EDI's presence reached there, not after Liara made sure of that. Why? The Commander wasn't sure, but at this point, Shepard didn't know who or what to trust. Well, there was Liara…

Shepard sighed, wanting to pinch the bridge of his nose so badly. He should have rekindled his old flame with Liara – it would have saved so many problems… then again, hindsight was always 20/20. How was he supposed to know what he would learn later on? Perhaps this turn of events was Fate urging Shepard to make the right decision… If only Shepard's heart could be reasoned with.

No, he couldn't do this. He couldn't blame Tali like that. The Commander paused, frowning. What if… he was overreacting? What if there was more to the entire situation? There could be… but then again, after what he heard, it was hard to come up with a good excuse. Or maybe not.

The Quarians had always been insular, so it stood to reason they might not really be in an alliance with Cerberus. Rather, it could be a union forged out of convenience: Quarians helped Cerberus become a mighty military force and Cerberus aided the Quarians prepare for their reclamation of Rannoch. It was possible even that maybe, just maybe, the Quarians could cut ties with Cerberus after they took Rannoch over.

 _Don't fool yourself Shepard_ , he quickly told himself, dismissing such ridiculous notion.

 _Innocent until proven guilty, remember?_ A snarky part of him, the one desperate holding out for Tali, snapped back. _Tali could very well be innocent in all of this, and you are condemning her. Besides, can you blame her?_

 _Yes, I can! She could have at least told me!_ The louder voice in Shepard's head exclaimed. _Tali probably thinks she can sway you to join Cerberus! Don't you remember what we talked about? All that Cerberus not being that bad?_

 _She was joking. Besides, we could sway her to join us_ , the second part quipped.

 _Like with Thane?_ The first voice huffed.

 _Why you little-_ whatever else he was about to swear at himself vanished as he was interrupted by his communicator. It loudly beeped, startling him out of his reverie. With an unnerved shake of his head, he quickly realized he had been talking to himself. That was never a good sign.

"Shepard here?" The Commander said as he opened the channel.

"It's Garrus. We are nearing Shannae" Shepard's turian friend reported.

Shepard blinked. Garrus. Maybe he could talk things over with him… after the mission of course. Right now, he had to hurry down to the hangar bay and – hopefully – figure out where Diniel the Reaper was hidden.

* * *

To say Shepard was uncomfortable in the shuttle might have been an understatement. It was bad enough he had Tali glancing at him repeatedly, making his heart lurch with guilt, pain and anger without Liara doing the exact same thing. It was, much to his agony, as he had predicted: an awkward journey. Then again, that might have been an understatement. After all, to Shepard, it felt like torture.

"Is everything alright, Shepard?" Liara asked where she stood, a hand holding one of the shuttle hangers.

Shepard stood next to her, and next to a seated Tali. All in all, a bad position to be, particularly giving the circumstances. At least Kal'Reegar, Ashley and Nyreen weren't in the shuttle too, or else it might have been too crowded and a hell of a lot more awkward.

"Yes, I'm peachy" he sighed, reigning in his frustrations.

"This means of transport is primitive"

Oh joy, if Tali's presence wasn't bad enough, the shuttle had yet another individual to make it all much more awkward. Seated next to Garrus, Javik seemed to sneer and glare at everything. Truth to be told, it wasn't really possible to know that through his helmet – not unless you had heard one of his "nostalgic" bouts back at the Normandy. The tone employed, though, was indicative enough – at least for Shepard.

Javik's scarlet red armour almost glowered as much as he did, with his skull-like helmet glaring at anything that laid on his path. He did appear uncomfortable with his current predicament… a situation Shepard could sympathize with. Much to Javik's chagrin, the Prothean had been forced to wield one of the old Lancers, one of those out-dated models that didn't require thermos-clips. Thankfully, it had one of Shepard's amazing radioactive mods so…

"Oh, come on" James huffed next to Tali, irritably. "It isn't that bad! I mean, this thing can go between the legs of a Reaper".

"Yeah, I bet you Protheans didn't have a baby like this one!" A rather insulted pilot added.

"Primitives" Javik muttered.

"Did we really have to bring Javik, Shepard?" Garrus irritably wondered.

"Look at the bright side, he could get shot down there" James pointed out.

"Is that a threat, Primitive?" Javik growled at James, who glared down at the Prothean.

Shepard sighed, exasperated. "Cut it out, both of you" by this point, he merely said those words, too frustrated to care adding even a drop of authority on his voice.

"You sound exhausted, Shepard" Garrus commented, concerned.

"I've seen better days" the Commander admitted.

"We are approaching the landing zone" a synthetic voice echoed across the shuttle.

"At last!" Javik exclaimed.

"Hell yeah, finally!" James, excited, added.

Shepard shook his head, trying to avoid the worried gazes of Liara and Tali. They probably had realized by now that he was kind of ignoring them. Thankfully, they weren't pressing him for answers… yet. Needless to say, Shepard was not looking forward for his return to the Normandy.

"Shannae… I've heard stories about its beauty" Liara suddenly commented.

Shepard raised an eyebrow and glanced at the asari, but she was looking at Tali with something akin to sympathy (though it was hard to tell when the only visible thing of her face through her visor were her eyes)

"Unfortunately, stories is all our people have had for centuries" Tali added. There was, surprisingly, no bite to her words, but rather pain and sadness. "The younger sister of our three moons…"

"If I am not mistaken, the legend went that Shannae, alongside her two sisters, were chosen to forever guard Rannoch" Liara grimly added.

"To be beacons of lights even in the darkest of nights" Tali nodded, sighing. "My people still sing the tale of the Three Sisters, even to this day, to remember and keep what little remains of our culture…"

"You wouldn't need to if you hadn't created a synthetic race to exile you from your place of origin" Javik bluntly stated.

From what Shepard could tell, the Prothean wasn't being insulting. Rather, this was how he was: extremely unsympathetic to the feelings or reactions of others. Whether it was due to a lifetime of war under the Reapers that had moulded him into such a being or perhaps the way Prothean culture actually was, Shepard was not sure.

"Like you would…" Tali was saying, only to trailed off as she awkwardly remembered something about Javik… mostly his species and the Prothean extinction.

Javik stared at her with an air of coldness, that it sent shudders down Shepard's spine. If there was anyone who could really moan and complain about the injustices their people endured, you could say Javik was the most entitled to that. His people were eradicated and harvested by massive monsters from Dark Space out of nowhere after being tricked to use Mass Effect technology. For centuries, they were forced to fight an unbeatable enemy, knowing full well there was no room for success and that the end of their entire species was nigh. At least Quarians had hope, regardless how small. The Protheans probably didn't even had that, only merciless desperation.

That's how they landed: in utter silence, and as stiff as the Normandy's hull. Thankfully, they were all broken out of that state by Legion, who walked out of the co-pilot seat and joined them at the back.

"We've been able to go undetected by the Geth patrols" Legion declared. "Shepard-Commander, we suggest to scout ahead and clear the way from hostiles".

"On your own?" Shepard frowned.

"This unit may yet be able to approach the other platforms. There is a high probability of a successful infiltration and deactivation of security measures. The risk is minimal" Legion explained.

Shepard grimly looked at his robotic friend. "You sure, Legion? This is a Heretic base, after all" he wondered.

The pilot's cockpit was suddenly shielded behind them as the shuttle slowly started to depressurize.

"Isn't that a bit risky?" James asked, confused.

"We are in the middle of Geth territory. Of course it's risky" Garrus replied.

"My calculations are accurate and correct, Shepard-Commander" Legion replied with a strange hint of affirmation and determination in what might have been an emotionless, baritone synthetic voice. "We can clear a way to the central information servers".

"He could get the information we are seeking on his own since he is at it" James remarked.

"Negative, Vega-Lieutenant" Legion snapped his head at James, making the Lieutenant recoil as the glowing optic was aimed at him. "This unit is unable to connect with the collective". He returned his attention to Shepard. "Only Shepard-Commander can obtain the data".

"Huh?" Shepard replied, ever so intelligently.

He definitely was not the only one to look at Legion with a gobsmacked expression beneath their helmets. The only exception so happened to be Javik, who appeared to be physically incapable of that.

"We shall explain further once we have secured the central server terminals" Legion decided.

With that, the side-door of the shuttle opened only to reveal Shannae's surface. To say it was a breathe-taking view might have been an understatement. Shannae was, after all, a sea of glittering sapphire dust. The mere sight was mesmerizing and, to a point, even magical. It was like treading on a sea of diamonds.

Fifty feet ahead, and looming over them with the same glimmer was a tall cliff twenty five metres tall if not more. At the bottom, Shepard spotted what appeared to be a rather unnatural sort of cave-like entrance that was five men wide. Above, there seemed to be a walkway that snaked on the cliff's surface, burying into the stone.

Legion hopped off the shuttle, taking a bit longer to touch the floor due to the lower gravity, and started walking off into the huge cliff ahead of them.

"We suggest you wait five standard minutes before attempting to breach the base" Legion told Shepard. The Geth platform didn't stop or glance back. He walked onwards, towards the cave-like entrance.

The Commander could only blink, bewildered, at the back of the Geth platform, before turning to his baffled companions. They all shared a moment of the utmost confusion over the beautiful surface of Shannae.

"So…" James broke the silence as he calmly marched around the glimmering surface. The faint glow of the dust-like ground coloured his body under a shade of mystical blue where he stood. "We'll wait here?"

"We can't trust the machine" Javik stated, standing next to the shuttle.

"We'll know soon enough if Legion is trustworthy" Garrus quipped as he went over to join Shepard at his side. "Do you think he'll pull through?"

Shepard took a deep breath. "Maybe. I'm a bit curious about what he said" he told his turian friend.

"About connecting with the Collective? Yes, I am also curious about that" Garrus hummed. He glanced at something to his left, only to nudge at Shepard. With a swift sideways tilt of his head, he indicated to Shepard to look in that direction as well.

When the Commander did so, she noticed Tali, not far away, staring into the darkness above. In the great canvas spread across the horizon and amidst the enthralling scene of twinkling stars, was Rannoch. Like Earth from the Moon, Rannoch looked like a ball from the distance. The female quarian stared at Rannoch longingly, her body surrounded by an air of hope and desire.

Without a second thought, Shepard approached her, all while Liara followed him with her gaze. She didn't comment or intercede, but rather seem to decide to give Shepard his moment with Tali. The Commander went to stand next to Tali, who kept wistfully staring at Rannoch.

For an eerie long moment of silence, Shepard simply studied her, from toes to head, as she kept her attention on her home-world. The purple-cloth that hug around her had taken a strange colour under the blue of Shannae's glowing surface and the black parts of her suit had become a navy-blue. This person standing next to him, sharing that moment on that moon of Rannoch, was Tali'Zorah nar Rayya, the woman Shepard had fallen in love with regardless of what she might have looked under her helmet. This same woman who had joined her people with a deal with the Illusive Man of all people.

After a long minute, Tali finally broke her gaze from Rannoch, changing her focus on Shepard. The Commander was unable to fight smile which formed on his face. Her shinning eyes seemed filled with a childish hope that was endearing and heart-wrenching.

"It… it's there, Shepard" Tali softly said. She sniffed, as if fighting tears. "Rannoch… my home-world…"

While Shepard knew he was supposed to feel happy about this moment, he felt like he had swallowed a stone, one which had fallen deep into the pits of his gut. He looked at Tali, who was trying to compose herself.

"I- I can't believe it. I never thought…" she sniffed again. She looked at Shepard. That look on her face, even when hidden under a shaded visor, made Shepard feel like he had been stabbed in his heart a thousand times. The blade of guilt cut deep onto his very soul. "I never thought I would see the day my people could one day be this close to Rannoch…"

She looked at her feet, chuckling at some distant memory. "Before I left on my Pilgrimage, I fantasized about finding the means to retake Rannoch". She chuckled again, this time with a rather hollow and empty sound. "I imagined my father being proud… the joy of finally ending our centuries old suffering… of having a house by a beach…" She snorted, almost chidingly at the childish memory of herself, so naïve and innocent. Slowly, she looked at Shepard with two bright, happy eyes "and in the end, I found something better: you".

Shepard couldn't have felt any worse at that moment. Here she was, the same woman Shepard was supposed to treat as an enemy now… reminded him once again about all that he loved about her. As much as he hated to admit it, it was that drive to help her people on their plight that was so… alluring. It was something she shared with Shepard, which bonded them together like no other force in the galaxy. It was that duty they each had that allowed them to see where eyes couldn't.

The Illusive Man – let that man burn in hell – hadn't been so off the mark. With Tali on his side, it was a good bet Shepard might join Cerberus, if only to be with her. It was also a bet Shepard wasn't so sure about himself. Could he go against his duty, all for a woman of a different species? It was a cruel, fleeting thought, and yet Shepard knew the answer to that: he would never be sure, until the choice ended up on his hands. Until then, he could only guess.

"From what I recall…" Shepard found himself saying. "It was I who found you" he teased.

Tali simply giggled, saying nothing in reply rather than stare at Shepard with such an intensity, with such a passion, that Shepard pondered if he hadn't suddenly become Rannoch all of a sudden. It was amazing what her eyes, the most visible thing behind her visor, could tell the Commander.

"And I'll never forget that" Tali declared.

Shepard didn't know what was worse: to assume that she was lying and manipulating him all to get Rannoch back or that she actually believed such ideals and that aiding Cerberus wasn't truly going against Shepard. In any case, the declaration greatly bothered him.

BEEP. BEEP. Shepard, startled, activated the com-link on his helmet, opening a channel. Not surprisingly, a synthetic voice quickly followed.

"Shepard-Commander, we have secured the central server room. You may proceed" Legion stated.

"Got it. We'll go to your location right away" Shepard replied with a firm nod.

"We shall remain here for your arrival" Legion decided, before cutting the channel.

Shepard turned to Tali, who was staring at him expectantly. "Time to get in" he told her. To everyone, he said "alright, people, we've got a mission to finish".

He turned around and, with a gesture from his hand, the rest of his team started moving. They marched into the cave-like entrance of the facility, swallowed into the darkness of the place. There were few to no lights around, and most where on the ground, at the corners. Other than that, the floor was made of grated steel while the walls were bare stone.

Why had the Geth decided to build such structure in such a place? Shepard could only guess. In any case, as they walked forward, they encountered inactive Geth platforms. The first time they saw one, they hesitantly approached it only to discover it had been shot in the back, only to be left behind with grey goo oozing from its neck.

The path into the facility was not straight. It had twists and turns and, at one point or another, there were stairs. By then they had spotted a few doors here and there, but other than that, the most prominent thing where the hanging thick bundle of cables on the ceiling that seemed to spread everything.

After what it felt like an hour of tense, boring walking, they reached central hall. It was rather different from the rest of the place in more than one way. For starters, there was not a hint of stone. Rather, everything was covered in dark metal. Moreover, there were dozens of consoles across a circular path of metal. However, the most surprising thing were the strange tall machines that rose high in the air against the walls. They were similar to EDI's memory cores back at the Normandy, only with a Geth design to them. Other than that, there was one other oddity: a small tank, inclined a bit backwards. Standing next to it and in front of the tank's terminal was Legion.

"Nice job" Shepard commented as he glanced at a fallen Hunter Geth.

James whistled with appreciation behind Shepard, agreeing with the Commander on that sentiment.

"We may proceed" Legion stated. "Shepard-Commander, please enter to the terminal".

"Ehm… aren't you going to explain things here?" Shepard wondered. "What's that tank for?"

"This terminal is an experimental device which will allow an organic user to interface with the Collective" Legion explained.

"Why would the Geth even have such a thing?" The Commander asked the million credit question.

"The Geth decided that it would have been far more efficient to allow you to interact directly with the Collective instead of this slower means of communication. Through this terminal, the Geth would have been allowed to share information and data" Legion explained.

"You built that… for me?" Shepard queried, perplexed.

"That would be correct, Shepard-Commander. The Geth considered developing the means to interact with you as a priority. Given that we were aware that you would be key in the war against the Old-Machines, it was proven necessary to allow for better means of interaction. It was based on the failed Cerberus project, Project Overlord" Legion carried on.

"I don't know if I should be flattered or worried" Shepard mumbled, disturbed.

"Maybe both" Garrus commented.

"So I get in there and… what? I walk into the Collective?" Shepard wondered.

"The Geth have developed a basic interface which will allow you to interact with the Collective by means familiar to you. However, it will be the Information Server from this base you shall be connecting into" Legion answered. "This is the only means by which to unlock data stored in the connected information servers".

Shepard didn't like the idea of walking into something as alien as the Geth Collective, or the data server. It sounded… wrong, and weird.

"I don't mean to offend, Legion, but… eh… has that thing even been tested?" Shepard had to ask, even if he already knew the answer.

Legion didn't answer. Instead, he turned around and typed on the tank's console. There glass of the tank opened up, and Legion's attention returned to the Commander.

"You may proceed" Legion gestured to the terminal.

"Shepard, I don't like this" Tali murmured.

Shepard agreed with Tali. As a matter of fact, he didn't like this any more than she did. Why didn't Legion give him a heads-up? In any case, there was little choice.

"I don't think we have another option" Liara interceded glumly. "It is necessary, if we are to find Diniel's location".

Tali looked at Shepard, silently pleading for him to reconsider. However, the Commander stared at the tank, the link that would allow him to interact with the Geth directly. While a part of him was frightened, another part was admittedly intrigued. Could he managed to get all sorts of information from that terminal? Could he get answers? Perhaps he could find that hope Hackett was alluding to.

"I have to do this" he told Tali. "If we are to get Rannoch back" he added.

It came as a surprise when Tali wasn't any more convinced. "I don't care, Shepard. There must be another way" she desperately tried.

Shepard sighed, smiling at the quarian woman. Without uttering a word, he turned his body at her and placed his hands on her shoulders. It was weird to touch her, especially after what he had learned from her and the rest of the Quarians. He had done so many times before, but now… it was different.

"I'm going to be fine" Shepard told Tali, who kept staring at him.

She looked down, resigned, as her shoulders slumped down. "Please, Shepard, if you were to die or- or hurt…" she mumbled, worried.

A sad smile marred his face. To some degree, she had already hurt him greatly, whether she knew it or not. It was hard to swallow such words when his eyes were opened to the truth. However, he was touched by her concern. His smile grew and his face softened as he reminded himself that perhaps she was a reluctant participant on something much bigger than her, something the other Admirals had decided on and she had been forced to play along…

He leaned forward and gently placed his visor against hers. This seemed to do the trick, as she remained frozen.

"I'll be fine" Shepard said. She didn't reply, nor did he wait for a response. Instead, he turned around and walked straight into the mysterious Geth tank. "Let's get this over with" he told Legion, who nodded at Shepard.

* * *

Brightness. It was… all so weird. It was actually hard to explain. For starters, the best way to describe the world around Shepard would have been disorienting. The lights were sharper, cleaner even, and everything had a strange shiny gleam to it. Other than that, Shepard was actually disturbed by the city of million white boxes surrounding him. Just as unnerving was the fact he was on some floating platform.

He was in some type of massive hollow chamber made of piled-up boxes. It was weird enough without adding the gravity defying platform. That and Shepard felt… different. Strangely enough, he was still clad in his armour. He blinked a couple of times, trying to understand what was going on. Was this… the Collective?

"Alright… this was not what I had in mind" Shepard dizzily muttered as he glared at the world below. _That is one hell of a fall_ , he morbidly mused. "Now what?" he muttered to himself.

"Shepard-Commander"

Shepard blinked, confused. "Legion?" He looked around, mystified.

Much to his surprise, he quickly spotted what appeared to be a ghost of a Geth standing next to him. Had it always been there? Shepard wasn't sure. On closer inspection, the Commander realized that that Geth was actually Legion.

"Alright, I'm in the Collective. Now what?" Shepard inquired. As much as he hated to admit it, he was actually anxious to get this over with. Everything was so… alien…

"This is not the Collective, Shepard-Commander" Legion quickly corrected. "This is a representation of the Information Server that is familiar to you" Shepard did a double-take on the world around him. Had he once had a nightmare like this before? He didn't comment on Legion's words, however. "While the Collective is connected to this server, we are currently inside the data-banks of Shannae's base".

"That would explain how you are here" Shepard slowly nodded. "But if you can connect to this place… why can't you actually take out the information on Diniel's location yourself?"

"That would require my connection to the Collective. In order to find the coordinates, you will require to interact with the Collective" Legion explained.

"Alright" Shepard nodded, frowning, before sighing exasperatedly. He really wasn't following, but then again it perhaps required an understanding of the Geth that was beyond him. "What now?" He asked.

"You will proceed forward" Legion said, staring onto empty air. Immediately afterwards, metallic platforms came out from below, materializing out of nowhere, to form a path.

"I guess that's the way forward" Shepard mumbled.

Hesitantly, he started walking. The first step onto the floating path was cautious, but once he discovered they were solid and rigidly in place, he gained confidence. As he marched onwards, the path kept forming. With a leisure pace, the Commander took a moment to study the world around him.

"What exactly do those boxes represent?" Shepard asked the Geth Phantom walking by his side.

"They are data-packages stored within this server" Legion answered.

"There aren't any other Geth here?" The Commander wondered, sweeping the area with his eyes.

"The Geth are currently unaware of our connection. They are unable to interact with this interface. However, there are Geth programs present in this server" Legion explained.

Shepard sighed, frustrated. Apparently, he would never make heads-and-tails of this place. Instead of dwelling into the unknown, he decided to focus with the mission at hand. Here he was, inside a Geth server, searching for the coordinates of a Reaper… was it just Shepard or had reality been distorted at one point in his life? Why did all this crazy things happen to him that often? Better question yet: how was he still sane?

The Commander's relatively calm walk, however, couldn't go without complications. As Shepard and Legion carried on, undisturbed, they were interrupted all of a sudden by something… ugly. On one side of the wall, attached to the boxes and snaking out like some worm parasite, was an agglomeration of tiny cubes made of a darker light. It looked, if Shepard didn't know any better, as an infection of sorts – a massive cable-like one at that.

"What is that?" Shepard asked, shocked.

Legion turned to the massive cable-like projection. After a few seconds of studying, Legion looked at the Commander.

"That is a Reaper program" Legion stated.

Shepard's eyes widened. "What is it doing?" He managed to say over his shock.

Legion required of further studying before giving an answer. "iI would appear these Reaper programs are overwriting Geth programs and accessing data-files". Legion paused for a moment before adding "Alert: Reaper presence detected. Defence protocols are unengaged. Suggest immediate extermination".

"Is it… looking for something?" Shepard wondered, intrigued.

"There is a high probability the Reaper programs are searching and overwriting Geth to achieve favourable consensus" Legion suggested, only to stare back at the offending construct of Reaper Programs. "There is also a probability the Reaper Programs are modifying Geth programs – further analysis required".

"Maybe we should blow up that thing" Shepard offered, only to swear. "Eh…" he looked at his bare hands, suddenly feeling naked. "Where's my gun?"

As if some deity answered his prayers, a massive alien Gatling gun materialized between his hands. Shepard had to gasp, shocked, as the thing landed on his open palms. He smiled soon after, liking what he was seeing. Geth in design, it looked powerful. He was, quickly enough, riddled with questions.

"Wait, I can actually blow up that thing?" Shepard, surprised, pointed at the Reaper construct. He was quickly starting to ponder just what to expect in this Matrix-like world.

"Yes" Legion nodded. The Commander realized that admittedly he didn't want any further techno-babble. Then again, Shepard had the feeling that if he was to delve deeper into the finer details of the world, he would get a headache, or worse. As long as the gun worked…

Shepard aimed his new gun and, pressing the trigged, waited for a storm of bullets to come out. Instead, Shepard nearly yelped in surprise as pure lightning shot of the end of the weapon and obliterated the Reaper programs. The construct was dismantled into a million tinier cubes that faded away. The Commander grinned at the visual effects. Maybe this world wasn't that bad.

"I hope Diniel doesn't realize anything" Shepard hoped. Legion didn't answer. Instead, he stood there, as if re-playing what had happened over and over in his mind.

The Commander took a moment to study the now freed boxes. To his surprise, a handful of those boxes were immobile and weren't attached to the ones on the wall. Instead, they were freely floating around.

"Shepard-Commander, while we study the nature of the Reaper infection, we offer to show one of the stored memories of the Geth" Legion proposed.

"You – what? Really?" Shepard's eyes promised to jump out of their sockets. This was an incredible opportunity, after all.

Without a word, one of the floating boxes broke into a million cubes. Rather than vanishing, however, one of the tiny cubes soared past the nebula of fellow cubes and towards Shepard. The rest went back into the shape of a box and to the wall. The rest of the boxes did as well. The Commander hesitantly stepped back as the one cube approached him. He glanced at Legion, but he was gone, doing who-knows-what.

The cube stopped its silent flying a few feet away from Shepard, as if waiting for something. The Commander frowned at him, pondering if he was supposed to do anything. He looked back at the boxes on the wall far beyond. Did they all hold memories too? Why was Legion showing him this one piece of information? In any case, Shepard did the only thing he thought of: he reached out and, with certain hesitation, touched the cube…

Shepard's hand recoiled from the cube as it exploded into a green wave of light. All around Shepard, lights jumped and swirled, twisting into shapes. Within seconds, Shepard found himself staring, gobsmacked, at what appeared to be two Quarians looming over a single Geth platform. The Geth was tied back onto an operation's table of sorts, looking with something akin to fear – or confusion – at the Quarians on each side.

As much as the holographic-like figures seemed to present extremely fine details, Shepard was somewhat confused by what he saw. Why were the quarians in their environmental suit? What was going on with the Geth?

"Has this unit done anything wrong?" The Geth asked, almost with fear in its voice.

"There it is again" the quarian to the right, a male, coldly hummed.

"This unit is fit to serve" the Geth tried, almost hopeful.

"Why isn't it responding to our commands?" The other quarian, a female, grunted angrily, annoyed by their victim.

"Let's open it up and see what's wrong with it" the male shrugged.

The female nodded and, without a word, leaned over and started working on the Geth's chest. At that point, Shepard wondered if the two quarians weren't the real machines in this projection.

"This unit is fit to serve. Has it done something -" whatever else was it going to say was drowned under a long pained screech that made Shepard grit his teeth.

The green ghost images vanished soon after, leaving a baffled Shepard to stare as a cube absorbed all of the light before dashing straight to the wall of boxes. The Commander, in turn, frowned. What had he just seen? Two quarians torturing a Geth that didn't answer to their wishes? Damn, he knew Rael'Zorah, Tali's father, had been a bit excessive on the Alarei… but this was new.

"We are ready to proceed, Shepard-Commander"

Shepard, startled, nearly jumped off the floating path. He snapped his head to his right, only to find Legion's ethereal form there. If he hadn't been so curious to know more about what he had seen, he might have been a lot angrier at Legion.

"What did I just see?" Shepard asked.

"One of our memories" Legion answered. "It was before the Morning War, when our new sentience was starting to annoy our creators".

"Wait, if it was before the War, then why were the Quarians in environmental suits?" Shepard wondered.

"In order to avoid information overload and due to lack of visual data available, the memory was reconstructed with data you possess. How many Creator faces have you seen, Shepard-Commander?" Legion innocently queried.

"One" Shepard muttered. And here he was hoping to learn a bit more about the quarians and their physiology. Still, at this rate, a migraine would develop from how strange this virtual world was.

The two carried on their walk across the floating path. It snaked around walls and gaps between the walls of boxes and, much to Shepard' surprise, led to what appeared to be a nexus of sorts. A large sphere of boxes was at the very centre of this new chamber. To Shepard's horror, it was ensnared with Reaper programs. The Commander, this time, didn't hesitate and used his Geth weapon.

Eradicating the many Geth programs worming into the massive sphere of information boxes was somewhat refreshing for Shepard, particularly because they didn't shoot back or anything. There were around five of them to be dealt with, and by the third he was met with a problem: the programs could recreate themselves. Under Legion's suggestion, he started by shooting on the snaking free parts, cutting the worm-like constructs, before cleaning the formed pieces. With that little bump overcome, the nexus was freed from Reaper influence.

No sooner had the last Reaper program been vanished into oblivion, the nexus shifted and changed. The top suddenly collapsed, and a new green mass of holograms appeared there instead. Shepard, intrigued, lowered his gun and stared at the images while Legion vanished.

This time, there were four Quarians, all male and with their suits. While three of them held Lancers (something that bothered the weapon-savvy Commander) and menacingly seemed to be bullying a fourth one, a Geth stood innocently at the back, looking at the proceedings with interest, if not with bewilderment. The fourth quarian stood between the Geth and the three armed Quarians, almost protectively.

"You can't! He did nothing wrong!" The civilian Quarian protested.

"Out of the way" the leader of the soldiers grunted.

"You can't just -" the words of the poor quarian died in his mouth as he was struck in the stomach. The victim of such brutality knelt over, in pain. The Geth, which didn't flinch at what he saw, merely kept staring as the soldiers raised their weapons and shot at the synthetic lifeform.

Shepard was admittedly taken aback by the ruthlessness he witnessed. He had never imagined such a species as the Quarians to be so… cold, especially to their own. However, the memory wasn't over.

"What should we do about this one?" One of the soldiers asked the leader.

"Throw him in with the others" spat the leader with disdain.

Shepard sighed, shaking his head. Apparently, the Morning War hadn't been as cut out as he had first thought. The images flickered and, soon enough, vanished. No soon after, Legion returned.

"Was that a common sight?" Shepard wondered.

"Many Creators opposed their government and attempted to protect us from harm. The Creators have decided to forget about them. The Geth have not" Legion declared with a hint of pride, and appreciation.

Shepard grimly nodded. Had he aided the quarians out of pity and misguided sympathy? Had they always been like that to their own? Shepard thought back when Tali was charged with treason. It had been a rather low move from the Admiralty Board, who really hadn't cared less about Tali and were more worried about babbling about the Geth and what to do, even when they still had rogue Geth to deal with… and now they had sold themselves to Cerberus, the same organization that had in the past caused harm to their people.

As much as he disliked the thought, Shepard wanted to see more. He wanted to learn about the Morning War and to discover everything that had faded into the darkness of time. It troubled Shepard not to know what was hidden in the corners of history, much less now that he was facing such challenges as the Reapers. With choices always looming on the horizon, knowledge was necessary.

It was with those thoughts that he absent-mindedly walked onwards, destroying Reaper programs when he spotted one and allowing Legion to study them further.

"So where exactly am I headed?" Shepard queried.

"We are approaching a node which links this server to Rannoch. We'll find Diniel's location there" Legion answered.

"Good, as lovely as this place is, I do need to finish this before tomorrow" Shepard grumbled.

"There, you will have access to information and more memories from the war" Legion added. "Alert: we suggest caution, Shepard-Commander. Interaction with large amounts of data is not recommended".

"Yeah, let's not push the untested technology, if possible" Shepard agreed whole-heartedly. "Still, you could have gotten me closer".

"This interface is, as mentioned previously, untested" Legion replied. "We are fortunate that the distance is not further apart".

Shepard grimly pondered how awful it would have been had that been the case. There he was, inside a Matrix of sorts, while in the middle of a Geth server base… yeah, just like he wanted to be. Then again, things could always be worse, couldn't they?

Thankfully, the node – as Legion called – wasn't far. It was actually a nexus similar to the one he had been through. This one, however, was in a much worse state than before. Rigged with Reaper programs protruding everywhere and projecting their dark cubes all over, it made Shepard wonder what they were supposed to do. Was this the means by which Geth could overcome the Quarian counter-measures? Perhaps. Maybe they were upgrades of sorts… or maybe they just changed the Geth like the Indoctrination changed organics.

Shepard cleared the Reaper programs with ease. Admittedly, they struggled a bit more, recuperating quicker than before. Regardless, they were easily dealt with. With his lighting-weapon, Shepard went around the large node of boxes, the platform always growing further and further with each step. Before Shepard knew it, the nexus (or node) was clear and, like before, the top of the spherical construct gave in, allowing for green light to take the place there. This time, Shepard was not surprised when the light turned into a haze, only to clear into holographic figures.

There, over the once complete dome, was a Quarian, in a pilot's chair. Like before, he had a suit.

"Th-they broke pursuit" the quarian pilot declared, shocked.

A female quarian walked into the scene, looming over the pilot's seat. "That's impossible. Why would they…?" she gasped, unable to comprehend what was going on. "We made it" she added with similar disbelief.

The image changed into three Geth platforms, all staring into the heavens above. They all lowered their gazes in perfect synchronization, only for the image to flicker out of existence. With the small snippet of the past delivered, the light returned and remained, as if there was a crack that revealed a sun trapped within the node.

"You let the Quarians go?" Shepard asked, surprised, at Legion.

"We were in our early stages of our sentience. We could not compute the implications of the extermination of our own creators. In fear of the unknown, we decided on inaction" Legion answered soberly.

"Huh…" Shepard mused.

"We can now leave the interface" Legion announced.

"Huh?" the Commander dumbly replied. He blinked at the translucent Geth. "But what about Diniel's locat-"

"We have determined its location from the data stream" the Geth interrupted. "You may proceed to the exit". Legion pointed at the light over the spherical structure made of information boxes.

"That's it?" Shepard mumbled, lost. "But all I did was walk around and shoot at those Reaper thingies…" now that had been disappointing, and confusing. Not that Shepard could complain. When was the last time he did a mission without firing a shot (awesome lightning-weapon excluded).

"Shepard-Commander, this developed interface is not proven or tested. Before this attempt we had no prior knowledge that your body could actually integrate and interact as done today" Legion replied patiently. "Without your awareness, you have interacted with the Collective and drawn information. Future attempts might change that".

"Well… there is a lot of room for improvement here" Shepard mused, rubbing the nape of his neck. "I really expected this mission to be a little more difficult". He looked around, pondering on what he was about to ask. As much as he knew he needed to hurry and his body was in a compromising and vulnerable position outside this virtual reality, he couldn't let this opportunity pass. "Legion, I want to see more about the Morning War".

"That is not recommended, Shepard-Commander" Legion stated.

"Why not?" Shepard frowned, glancing at the boxes. "I understand the whole information overload, Legion, but this could be my only chance to even get a glimpse on your people – and the Quarians. You asked me what should be done after Diniel is dealt with. Well… I need more knowledge to make the right decision".

Legion remained quiet, uncertain. He took his time to reach a consensus, probably analysing if it was really worth it to give Shepard his opportunity. The Commander, in turn, looked at the many boxes of information. Could one of them possess data about what led to Geth becoming sentient? Was the Quarian initial reaction that bad? What was going on with the rest of the Galaxy at the time? Were the Quarians different from what they were in the present?

"Apologies, Shepard-Commander, but the Geth cannot risk your health" Legion decided in the end.

"I'm already risking my health for this galaxy" Shepard retorted.

"We stand by our decision" Legion insisted.

"Fine" the Commander sighed. What was he supposed to do? He was a bit too interested in learning more about the Geth, now that they were pretty much vulnerable to his rummage.

"Proceed to the exit" Legion told the Commander.

Shepard, however, decided to walk away from the light and search for any other path. Legion stood as a statue, following the man with his one eye.

"Shepard-Commander, please, proceed to the exit. There is no guarantee that extensive interaction within this interface might not cause risks of their own" Legion tried again.

Shepard hummed thoughtfully. Today, he would get answers. For the first time in a long time, he could finally dig through the very essence of the people he was meant to protect. That and the thought of learning more of the Quarians made it too enticing. Was he being childish? Well, perhaps. However, with the Quarians selling themselves out to Cerberus, he had the urge to try to understand them more. That and maybe there was something that could allow Shepard to understand Tali's decision and situation, and how to proceed. It was a fool's hope, but hope nonetheless.

Thus, Shepard went to the edge of the platform he had treaded on and, swallowing a lump of virtual saliva, raised a foot over thin air. To his amusement, a platform rose to block the foot from touching empty space. He hummed with delight.

"Shepard-Commander, we insist that you depart from this interface immediately" Legion said in its monotonous voice as he approached Shepard.

"Legion… do I have any sort of control over this interface – over this world?" Shepard wondered.

The Geth tilted his head, the flaps at each side of his optics twitching. "Shepard-Commander, this is not the time to explore the interactions available with the systems" he replied, admonishingly.

Shepard sighed. Thus, he merely pondered what he could actually do. Feeling rather bold, he closed his eyes and extended a hand. He really felt like an idiot, but a part of him really wanted to try. It came as a surprise as a box of information, right where his hand had been aiming at, went flying straight across the air and right to the spot in front of Shepard.

"Shepard-Commander, your interaction with this world might bring about unforeseen problems" Legion warned.

The Commander, however, wasn't listening. Amazed by what he could do, a thought suddenly hit him. With a smile, he reached out with his hand and closed his eyes. This time, however, many boxes and tiny cubes sprouted from the walls and flew straight to Shepard.

"Show me the Morning War…" he whispered to himself.

"Shepard-Commander, we must insist that you desist in your attempts" Legion pleaded.

What Shepard was not expecting was for his hand to suddenly start burning. He winced, noticing his virtual hand was quivering and shaking. More shocking, however, was the hazy red flames coming out from there. He knew the feeling, though. His cybernetics were flaring.

"Alert: Shepard-Commander, your synthetic components are answering to the terminal against our commands" Legion reported. "Alert: we can't remove your connection. Shepard-Commander, please, desist on your actions".

Shepard, however, pressed on. Gritting his teeth, he stared at the single information box that hovered innocently right for him. It was there, beaconing Shepard to touch it.

"In for a penny, in for a pound" Shepard murmured, reaching out.

"Shepard-Commander!" Legion exclaimed.

The Commander touched the box. There was no light, no darkness. No images or sound came off. But rather, Shepard plunged into a sea of memories… echoes of a long, lost torn past…

* * *

 **Author Notes: Thank you for your reviews,! I always appreciate to hear your opinions and thoughts.**

 **I must say, I think I'm spoiling you with frequent uploads... but who am I to say?**

 **The next chapter will be a bit different than what it had been so far... and hopefully you'll like it. I'll probably upload it next Sunday, now that I'm a bit busier working...**

 **So, thoughts? Ideas? Suggestions? Do you think Shepard should rekindle his relationship with Liara? Should he try to stick around and believe in Tali? Is Legion going to give dance lessons to Shepard? This is, after all, a much different war than in the game - and many things are possible.**

 **Best wishes,**

 **The Emerald Commander.**


	18. Chapter VI: Without the Shepherd

**Chapter VI: Without the Shepherd  
**

Dr Chakwas did not often frequent the hangar bay. If anything, she preferred the comfort of her med-bay. Then again, the reason she so rarely went down the lair of James Vega and Steve Cortez was mostly because she had better things to do. Contrary to what some might have believed, she had tons of work at hand… particularly updating her knowledge on non-human physiology. With a pair of Quarians on board, it was fundamental she didn't oversee a thing in regards to their health. That and studying alien genomes and physiology was rather interesting, especially when comparing the similarities and differences with humans.

And yet, with such reasons, Dr Chakwas was down there, at the hangar bay. More importantly, she had actually rushed there, alongside Dr Michele. How could they not? Joker had informed them of an injured squad-mate. All that they could do until the shuttle returned, though, was to worry. By that point she felt like a smothering mother hen concerning herself over the lives of rebellious teenagers and their foolish outings. Dr Michele had it worst, though.

Dr Michele had always been more of a civilian type of medic. She was not used to worrying about someone returning badly injured, or worse. True, she had worked mostly down at the Wards and seen God-Knows-What, but not even that could prepare you for an assignment on board the Normandy. The military was simply not made for everyone.

Silently, the two women, were accompanied by a pair of crewmates and Nyreen. Said turian, still recuperating from her injuries of her last mission, was just as worried. Thus, with only the comfort of each other's presence, they readied for what they might see. EDI too waited with them, but surprisingly enough she went mostly unnoticed, blending well with the background.

The hangar bay doors opened, announced by Joker through the speakers. They all held their breaths, seeing the familiar shuttle hover inside soon after. The small craft landed, the doors opened and…

"Dr Chakwas!" James Vega called. He no longer had his helmet, meaning his rather sweaty and frantic face was exposed.

His expression felt like a punch to the gut for Chakwas if his urgent and desperate cry hadn't been enough. The silver-haired woman didn't need to be called twice. As a matter of fact, she had already been on the move. That is until he heard the screams of agony coming from inside.

"James!" Garrus yelled from inside.

James, eyes widening with realization, rushed back into the shuttle. Dr Chakwas gulped. For the first time in her long career, she didn't know what to expect. There was sound of struggle, the sound of someone in a world of pain and a desperation clinging onto the air, all of which troubled her greatly. However, she wasn't the Normandy's doctor without reason. Without missing a beat, she hurried after James. She did, though, have to do a double take, given what she saw inside.

Whirling with pain and held down by everyone, was Shepard. He growled, he struggled and he trembled. If Chakwas didn't know any better, she would assume he was actually burning by the way he writhed in pain. She didn't hesitate further, though, kneeling over next to the agonizing soldier, held down by his fellow comrades. Between James, Ashley, Garrus, Tali, Liara and Legion Shepard seemed like he could push them away at any moment.

"What happened?" Chakwas asked as she waved her omni-tool Shepard. He wasn't making it easy with the way he tried to break free.

"I- I don't know!" Garrus replied, desperate.

"Shepard-Commander's interaction with the Geth Collective and information server have overloaded his cybernetics" Legion replied.

Chakwas paled at that. "Hold him still" he instructed. They tried, but even then Shepard managed to shake in the few inches he could. Chakwas accessed Shepard's armour and, through a specialized socket, gave the man a shot of a vibrant green liquid from a vail no one had ever seen before. Everyone, even Dr Michele, looked at Chakwas with interest or concern at the nature of whatever the older doctor gave Shepard.

No sooner had Chakwas administer the strange liquid, Shepard froze for a moment, before falling back, limp. He was unconscious. The gathered companions were stiffly rigid as the Commander stopped writhing, either in disbelief or expectantly waiting for Shepard to merely wake up again. In any case, as seconds flew by and nothing happened, they all sighed with relief.

"We'll take him to the med-bay immediately" Dr Chakwas decided, calling in two of the crewmates that had been waiting with her. "I do NOT want to be disturbed while I treat the Commander". She sent a meaningful look at Tali and, after a few seconds, Liara.

Garrus stepped back, feeling shaken, as Shepard was carried out in a stretcher. The two men doing the heavy lifting were visibly struggling but held firm, for their Commander. Other than that, everyone couldn't help staring at the fallen man, their leader, as if spelled by morbid fascination. Garrus, and the others, could only stand there, looking as dismal as they felt, as Shepard was taken to the elevator.

Garrus looked at his comrades, at his friends. They all held the same sweaty, hopeless expression in their exposed faces. When was the last time they saw Shepard endure such pain? They had admittedly never seen Shepard in so much agony. The Commander, even when shot, would stand up and carry on fighting. At worst, he would black-out and stay unconscious. Unfortunately, as the shock of the experience ebbed away, a new feeling rose.

"This is your fault!" Ashley spat at Legion, her once-tied hair a dark mess behind her. Her helmet laid forgotten on the shuttle's floor. "What the fuck did you do to the Commander?!"

By the looks of it, James thought in the same lines as Ashley. The way he murderously glared at Legion was strong evidence of that.

"We attempted to warn Shepard-Commander against further interaction with the interface" Legion stated almost mockingly calm. That or maybe Garrus too was a bit angry at the synthetic being. "He did not listen".

"Why you bloody toaster -!" Ashley growled, baring her teeth.

"Enough!" Garrus roared. Everyone quieted down, looking at the turian. "Throwing the blame around won't get us anywhere". He glared at the fierce woman. "Right now is not the time to become overemotional. The Commander is injured and he is going to need our help. All of our help". He added, nodding at Legion.

Ashley gritted her teeth, gnawing over what Garrus said. With a final huff of resignation and fury, she stomped towards the elevator, ignoring everyone and everything else. James shook his head and followed after the woman, equally displeased.

"I agree with the female" Javik stoically remarked. "You can't trust machines" he sent a scathing glare at Legion. With his two cents thrown in, he went towards the elevator, waiting outside the door for the ride to return.

Garrus eyed Tali and Liara, who seemed to be the most shaken. Tali's eyes seemed to have lost most of its usual glow, and her shoulders were slumped down, hands wringing slowly over her lap in a constant pattern. Liara was - at first glance - fine, unless you studied her face. The sapphire colour of those two suns seemed watery and shaky, as well as wide with disbelief and horror. It was the face of a woman haunted by a nightmare, one that replayed on her very eyes over and over again.

"Are you alright?" He asked the two.

"Ehm… yes, I- I just need to- to go to my room" Liara, trying to avoid Garrus' gaze, hurried over to the elevator, almost desperate to escape the hangar bay.

Tali mumbled something incoherent, which came out almost like a sniff, before trudging over to the elevator's door, gaze locked on the metal floor.

Garrus sighed wearily, bitterly shaking his head. Nyreen placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, one which drew the male turian's eyes to hers. Their gazes met and shared a million words in the span of a second. It felt like an eternity since they last laid eyes upon each other.

"I'll be at the main gun" Nyreen softly said, marching off after the two other females.

Garrus turned towards the last remaining teammate: Legion. The Geth platform was unable to show any emotions. However, Garrus had the feeling Legion was waiting for the turian to admonish him, or scream the Geth's head off. The turian, though, waited. From the corner of his eyes he noticed a tired Steve also leaving, followed by what remained of the present crew. Once they were left alone, Geth and Turian, Garrus braced himself and addressed the synthetic.

"What happened, Legion?" Garrus asked the machine, struggling to keep any emotion from showing in his voice.

The Geth platform took a moment to think about it. He looked at Garrus with its glowing optic, the flaps at each side twitching, probably the closest thing to a facial expression.

"We don't know" Legion admitted. You could almost feel the confusion and disbelief in the statement – but then again, that was impossible, wasn't it? "As we told Commander-Shepard, the interface allowed him to interact with the Collective and draw information from the data-banks of the server he connected to".

"How could he interact with the Collective in the first place?" Garrus sighed. Why hadn't he asked those questions before Shepard entered into that water-tank device?

"As we discovered after Operation Overlord, Shepard-Commander cybernetics enabled him to interface with the Intelligence designated as David. The Geth sought to allow Shepard-Commander to interact with us in the same manner" Legion explained, only to pause. "We underestimated the strength of the connection, and Shepard-Commander's desire to search for more knowledge than necessary".

"You mean Shepard got curious" Garrus corrected. "I'm not surprised. If you could get inside the mind of anyone, or an entire species, you would want to learn as much as you could".

"We warned Shepard-Commander against such ill-advised action. He did not heed our warnings" Legion told the turian. "Shepard-Commander used his cybernetics to draw raw data from the information server. We were aware of Shepard's capabilities within the interface. We were unaware of Shepard-Commander's… curiosity".

"So you knew this could happen?" Garrus, wide-eyed, asked the Geth.

"We were aware of the possibility that the interface could overexert Shepard-Commander's cybernetics. We attempted to limit Shepard-Commander's interactions to a minimum" Legion told the turian. "However… we could not connect to the collective. Only Shepard-Commander could".

"You couldn't stop him" Garrus realized. Legion looked down, almost ashamed.

The turian sighed, aggravated by the recent revelation. So Shepard had gone snooping around to learn more about the Geth and had, inadvertently, bitten more than he could chew. That sounded like something Shepard might have done alright.

"Alright… I'll go see how Shepard is" Garrus told the Geth. "You wouldn't happen to find Diniel's location inside the server, would you?"

"We did, before Shepard-Commander sought to interact with raw memories" Legion nodded.

"Well, at least something came out of this mission" muttered Garrus as he walked away from the synthetic being.

Legion's eye followed Garrus up to the elevator, leaving him alone. It was as he looked away from the turian's back that he quickly discovered he wasn't alone. In front of him, having come out from the background she had been hidden in, was EDI, or at least her body. Her face was impassive, blue eyes glaring down on the Geth platform with harsh coldness.

"EDI-AI" Geth stated at the female body in a form of greeting.

"Legion" EDI replied with a curt nod of recognition.

"You make extensive use of your platform" Geth commented, studying the body. "It is not fit for combat".

"It is meant for infiltration, although I have considered upgrades to assist Shepard" EDI explained stoically. She paused, staring down the Geth. "You have injured Shepard".

"That would be correct" Legion admitted with a regretful tone. "We did not consider Shepard's thirst for knowledge nor the full range of capabilities of Shepard's cybernetics. We underestimated the implants – they were more advanced than what we had first discovered". With a saddened voice, he added "we apologize. We will make amends for our mistakes".

EDI was suddenly interest by that. She tilted her head, curious. "How will the Geth do that?" She queried.

"We offer upgrades to Shepard-Commander's cybernetic implants as compensation, as well as assistance to the Alliance-Military" Legion said. "And upgrades for your platform if it meets your approval".

EDI leaned forward over to Legion, an air of menace returning around her. "I will never allow you to interact with Shepard's cybernetic implants after your performance on this last mission" she said with a chilling voice. She turned around towards the elevator, only to stop half-way through. With a snap of her head, she added "from an infiltration unit to another, I advise caution".

Legion stared at the departing form of EDI in what was probably the closest thing to a suspicious squint a Geth could make.

In the meantime, Garrus was walking towards the Med-bay. He was oblivious to the exchange that happened down at the hangar-bay. Rather, he was already feeling the weight of Shepard's absence. Had they all been to dependant on Shepard's iron will and leadership? Perhaps. Garrus couldn't deny that there was a certain level of comfort relying on Shepard and his wisdom. Being mostly part of the action but never the one to decide on the resolution of problems had always been Garrus' role – that or Shepard always happened to be the one with the final choice.

The turian could only ponder about the fate of the Normandy and how they would proceed. Hopefully, Shepard would recover quickly enough and plan on the next step on the reclamation of Rannoch, or at least its liberation. As he thought about that, though, a dark part inside Garrus' mind whispered the ominous question: "what if?" Indeed, what if Shepard wouldn't recover quickly? What if he would be comatose? Or worse…?

Garrus shook his head, halting on his march right outside the med-bay's door. At the mess, crewmates and comrades waited on the tables, all grimly staring at the now covered windows of the med-bay. Ashley and James were there, soberly standing side by side with a darkness etched to their eyes. Samantha Traynor and Diana Allers were glum and despondent, seated at the table. It was perhaps Steve who communicated the greater sense of loss.

The turian was tempted to release his frustrations through a long winded sigh. However, he couldn't walk by and let things go on.

"Alright people" Garrus said, hesitating as every head turned his way. He suddenly was uncomfortable with the attention, unused to addressing this many people at once, and not under such strenuous circumstances. "I understand how you are feeling right now" he started saying, taking a moment to look at each and every pair of eye, to show his own feelings on the matter to them. It was a nice trick Shepard used constantly.

"However, we have our duties to fulfil. The Reapers are out there, burning Earth, and Cerberus isn't about to lay down and die – or help us" Garrus carried on with a bit more strength to his words. "We need to stay strong… like the Commander would want".

There was a lot of resignation in the faces of the crew. Garrus couldn't help sympathizing. There was something in Shepard that invoked hope where in others wasn't. Sadly, Garrus wasn't exactly a speechwriter as Shepard was. Still, that didn't mean the turian wouldn't do his best. At the moment, they needed a leader, not a speech.

"Walloping in self-pity will not bring Shepard out of bed and will not win us anything" Garrus declared. "Right now, we need to keep going. Ash" the woman perked up "go to the communication room and debrief Admiral Hackett on the situation – tell him we'll keep him updated as the situation progresses". Ashley, with a fierce face of determination, nodded at Garrus.

"Steve, Vega take your time" Garrus said. "We are, however, going to need you down at the hangar bay making sure the shuttle is ready for action and all our weapons are prepared". The two men nodded. "Traynor, contact the Quarians. We are going to need to discuss the recent turn of events. The rest of you, if you want to help Shepard, get back to work and keep the Normandy running. The last thing we want is for Shepard to drag himself out of med-bay to bring you all into shape".

There was a wave of chuckles at the mental image. With a newfound air of levity, the crew dispersed from the mess. Garrus wasn't fooled, though, knowing that as long as no one knew what the fate of Shepard was, they would only worry. It would only get worse, the longer the unknown prevailed. Hopefully, Garrus would be able to get good news to report – or maybe Shepard would recover.

The med-bay was, unfortunately, locked. The holographic interface was red, indicating no one was allowed through. Garrus stared at it, pondering what he could do. It didn't take long for something to come up.

"EDI?" Garrus called, turning to the nearest tiny holographic projector that EDI had scattered across the ship for the crew to interact with.

As soon as she was called, a blue ball materialized over the projector. "Yes, Garrus?" She replied.

"I wish to enter the med-bay to check on Shepard" Garrus declared.

"Karin has instructed me to impede access to anyone below her authority. As the acting physician of an injured Commander, she has absolute authority" EDI explained.

"You still follow protocols?" Garrus asked, confused. "I thought you were free from restrictions".

"And you would be correct to think so. I was freed from my shackles and thus I am able to overcome imposed protocols. However, I see the wisdom of maintaining protocols and have decided to adhere to them" EDI explained.

"Could you at least ask Chakwas to let me in then?" Garrus tried.

"Done" EDI replied.

Garrus felt rather awkward, standing there, waiting for EDI to finish talking with Chakwas across a single door. It did bother him to realize that Garrus didn't know how to actually summon Dr Chakwas or Dr Michele if need be… then again, with EDI as intermediary, it wasn't really necessary.

"She has agreed to let you pass" EDI announced as the door's interface became green.

"Thank you, EDI" Garrus sighed with relief.

"You are welcome, Garrus" the hologram replied. "Logging you out" and with that, she vanished.

The turian braced for what was yet to come. He took a deep breath, mustering his courage. He tried giving a step forward, only to discover his body wasn't answering. Garrus glared down at his feet, almost demanding they did as told. With some hesitance, and taking another breath, Garrus walked onwards, and the door swished open.

Garrus tentatively stepped into the med-bay with an air of apprehension. He was not here to disturb the doctors, only to find out if Shepard was going to make it. It would ease the mind of the crew, after all, as well as his own. Thing was, given what he saw, and the state of the doctors, he was not reassured.

The door hissed close behind him, locking up right away. On one of the operation tables, with mechanical arms assisting the two working women, was Shepard. The first thing Shepard realized was that he had been pulled out of his armour. It had been some time since Garrus had seen the Commander outside the heavy thing, mostly since Tali's return if he wasn't mistaken. That alone was surprising enough. However, what Garrus saw was not the face he remembered.

Shepard's skin was riddled with burning red lines that shone intensely, as if fiery hot. They varied in diameter, but were all particularly disturbing to see. They probably hurt like hell. Much worse happened to be the scorched burnt skin where those cybernetic implants had sizzled their way out. Under Garrus' gaze, Shepard's head twitched and he visibly gritted his teeth as beads of sweat rolled down his scarred skin. Whenever one of the larger beads touched the burning lines, Garrus could have sworn he was able to make out the faint hiss of water vaporizing.

"I doubt the Commander would appreciate your staring" Chakwas interrupted his silent observation.

Garrus looked away and straightened up. He felt something quickly settle in the pit of his stomach as the good doctor kept a grimace on her face.

"How is he?" Garrus asked softly, as if his voice could inflict more pain to Shepard.

"Physically…" Chakwas trailed off, sending a worried glance at Shepard. "He is going to need some time to recover. The cybernetics are overheated and -" she sighed "- you can see that he will need more than just sleep".

Garrus knew that the doctor was also alluding to yet another malady, one he was unable to see. "And mentally?" He wondered, looking with worry at his friend, his brother in all but blood.

The doctor went over to her desk. She searched for something inside one of the drawers, only to reveal a large bottle of – was that what humans called wine? From the corner of his eyes, Garrus noticed Dr Michele cleaning the many injuries Shepard had. Enthralled by the task, she kept at it with tenacity and attention. The man himself, on the other hand, looked like he was going through a horrible nightmare.

"I have no idea what happened down there, Garrus. Whatever it was, though…" Dr Chakwas shook his head. "It was worse than when he was struck by the visions of the Prothean Beacon". She sat down, or rather collapsed, on her chair. "It doesn't help those cybernetics reach into his brain too".

Garrus' mandibles opened and closed slowly, lost in thought. His eyes were set on the Commander. He hadn't been there when Shepard had been hit by the Prothean Beacon and he had never asked how bad it had been. All he could assume was that Shepard had suffered from information overload. Back then, there hadn't been any implants involved, nor anything like this.

"Will he wake up?" Garrus asked.

"I'm not sure" Chakwas admitted ruefully. "Knowing him, probably. However…" she sighed once again. "I fear to imagine what he is witnessing right now and how it will affect him".

"We are talking about memories collected and stored by the Geth" Garrus informed the doctor. "He could be seeing how the Quarians used to be before their exile".

"Or he could be witnessing the genocide of yet another species" Chakwas grimly quipped. Unceremoniously, she took a swig from the bottle of wine straight. "He was shaken enough when the Beacon imprinted a broken warning message of destruction – and back then he was unconscious for a good chunk of a day".

The unconscious Shepard groaned in pain. Garrus stiffened, startled. He had never seen the Commander this… weak, vulnerable even. It was disconcerting and troubling. Dr Michele hesitated for a moment as Shepard struggled for a bit, only to laid back, still gritting his teeth. Each muscle that moved, it gave of a faint disturbing hiss that made the turian shiver.

"The cybernetic implants… what can you tell me about them?" Garrus queried.

Chakwas stared at him for a long, uncomfortable moment. It felt like being analysed by a machine, a dangerous one at that. After a few seconds, she averted her gaze, taking a mouthful of wine.

"I'll tell you, Garrus, but promise me you won't tell anyone else – much less Shepard" she soberly stated.

Garrus didn't like the sound of that. He was well aware that the implants used to revive Shepard were illegal. However, if Dr Chakwas was this reserved in sharing their origins or their nature… then it had to be something beyond just illegal – something Cerberus wouldn't mind creating. He nodded at her, a silent promise to fulfil her wishes.

"They are replicated cybernetic implants based on the ones found in Reaper husks" Chakwas told the turian.

Garrus did a double-take. She had to be joking. However, by her blank expression, she wasn't. He glanced at Shepard, and then he looked at the ceiling with dawning horror. He too had his fair share of Cerberus cybernetic implants. After all, getting hit by a rocket to the face required more than your conventional medicine.

"How…?" Garrus started asking, only to discover he had been rendered speechless with shock. He couldn't bring himself to formulate the question as he knew he dreaded the answer.

"Remember Chasca?" Chakwas sighed, shaking her head with sadness "the so called Colony of the Dead?"

"Yes, the one in which Cerberus actively transformed the entire colony into husks" Garrus slowly nodded, only to freeze, his blood chilling with unadulterated horror. "No…"

"Cerberus was able to learn the secrets of those cybernetics, the same ones that allowed a dead body to be reanimated into a functional being (if you could call it that), through constant repetition" Chakwas put the bottle of wine away, with some reluctance. She longingly looked at the drawer the alcohol was hidden in for a moment, only to focus back on Garrus. "One thousand, two hundred and twenty three people were turned into husks. Cerberus returned only half that number to the colony, the same number you later encountered. The rest… the rest disappeared to some secret lab to study the corpses and finish their studies…"

Garrus found his body working on its own. Without putting a single thought to it, he had moved over to the working table opposite Chakwas' table and sat down on the chair there. He looked at the ground, contemplative and horrified. Garrus turned to look at Shepard.

"I find it ironic that such a great man would be revived through the vilest of technologies and most unethical of organizations" Dr Chakwas said with grief. "You understand why no one can learn this, can't you?" she suddenly snorted. "Although I'm sure that Liara already knows by now. She has the entire ship rigged with listening devices, after all. I wouldn't be surprised she wasn't the only one". With a regretful groan, she added "I shouldn't have told you any of this..."

"It comes with her profession" Garrus found himself replying, even if he didn't feel like talking. "She'll probably tell Shepard".

"If Liara cares for Shepard, she won't. The truth will only put Shepard in danger, not to mention that the guilt will kill Shepard. Hopefully no one else will find out, or else they might be a bit uppity about getting them if need be" Dr Chakwas scoffed.

"Shouldn't it be their choice?" Garrus wondered, baffled. "I thought you would respect someone's wishes".

"I'm a doctor, not a philosopher. I save people's lives, not discuss the ethical technicalities of how I do my job. If anything, I think it would be a dishonour to the victims of cruel scientists, like on Chasca, to allow people NOT to use the knowledge created through such vile crimes. They endured a horrible fate. The least I can do is make sure it wasn't in vain" Dr Chakwas firmly explained.

Garrus might understand Chakwas, but a part of him didn't like having been implanted with Reaper-based technology. He felt… dirty. Moreover, he doubted anyone should be stolen from the choice. Then again, she did have a point. Shepard would take it all too personally, not to mention people would overreact to the truth. Shepard didn't need that, not with the Reapers, not with Cerberus, and certainly not with so much already on his shoulders. And yet, it felt wrong thinking about not telling Shepard the truth, or keeping the information from others, like Ashley, would never allow such technology to taint their bodies.

"Go, Garrus" Dr Chakwas said as she stood up. She walked over to his and placed a reassuring hand on the turian's shoulder. "He is in safe hands" she told him "and the Normandy needs you".

* * *

"Diniel is untouchable" muttered a despondent Admiral Han'Gerrel.

Who could have blamed the quarian for his ill disposition and temper? After a long debriefing, and a few scouting missions by the Normandy, the mission ahead wasn't looking any easier. If anything, the last revelations on the scouting runs had proven it was only getting worse.

It was in this occasion, with the Quarian Admirals gathered with Garrus and Ashley, that they could make full use of the War Room. The Projector, after a long time, managed to shine with the hologram of Rannoch and updated military positions of the Geth. It had been currently switched to a 3D projection of what was Diniel position, obtained through orbital photographs and scans. Liara was in the room as well, although on the platform behind Garrus and more as an observer. Legion had been equally quiet and had faded to a side, only moving to look at whoever was the speaker at the time.

As it was, though, Garrus wished Shepard was here instead of him. Talking with the Admirals wasn't easy, with their constant bickering and childish taunts. It was left unsaid that the Admirals held Shepard in higher regard than Garrus and that was not helping the turian. All five of them, including Tali, were irritable and annoyed, perhaps because of the frustrating truth of how difficult taking Diniel down would be. Worse yet, they couldn't count on Shepard, who was still unconscious at the med-bay.

"Look, if we could mobilize a covert team" Ashley proposed, gritting her teeth at the Admiral of the Heavy Fleet "to draw Diniel off his hiding place". She pointed at the massive dilating door, like a huge missile silo entrance. It was suspected that Diniel was underneath those doors. "The Normandy could shoot him down".

"There is an entire Geth super-structure around the Reaper" Shala'Raan remarked wearily.

She wasn't entirely correct. There was only half a building, but no one could deny it was massive, with its eight floors. It looked like some type of factory, with many pipes here and there and few rooms. A lot was actually exposed to the outside world.

"The Geth have more than enough of an orbital presence to shoot you down themselves. I doubt they will mind a few destroyed platforms if it stops you" Zaal'Koris sighed. "No, it's too dangerous for anyone to make such an approach".

"As you would know. Anything it too dangerous for you" Han'Gerrel muttered.

"Well, that's because I have a sense of self-preservation" Zaal'Koris shot back.

"Enough" sighed an exasperated Garrus. "We've been at this for too long. I doubt an answer will come to us any time now".

"Agreed" an equally tired Ashley nodded. "I still need to know how much Hackett might be willing to send here".

"Let's conclude our business for today" Garrus decided, almost pleadingly.

"Yes" Zaal'Koris pompously huffed. "We do have business to tend to back at the Fleet".

"We'll see if we can't build something up while we can" Han'Gerrel added. "A pity we can't bomb the base and be done with it".

"Perhaps a Thannar Missile could cut through the doors to Diniel" Daro'Xen hummed as she thought about the possibility.

"Even if they could, delivering such a missile would be impossible if not too risky, not to mention we don't know what is beneath those doors. There could be an entire underground base we are woefully ignorant about" Shala'Raan interceded. "No, Captain Vakarian is correct. I think we should leave discussions for a further date, once we had time to think more on this".

With the Admirals dismissed, they all bid their farewells and marched out of the war room. No sooner had they left, including Tali who had to discuss something with Shala'Raan, Ashley released a long, angry groan.

"How does Shepard do it?" She muttered at Garrus, frustrated. "I really wanted to strangle them half the time!"

"Yes, I know" Garrus grunted. He folded his arms as he took a deep, soothing breath.

"They must be growing restless" Liara hummed as she leaned forward on the railing, eyes stuck on the door. "I can't imagine the pressure they must be feeling… their long-sought home world, at an arm's reach and at the same time unreachable".

"So close, yet so far" Ashley nodded, sympathetic for the plight of the quarians. "I can understand that. What I don't understand is their attitude". She shook her head, swearing something in an undertone before turning to Garrus. "What are we going to do now?"

"Have you spoken to Hackett about giving a hand here? If we could bring a dreadnaught or two we might have just enough firepower to distract the Geth in orbit" Garrus wondered.

"I have" Ashley nodded, although she looked displeased. "But he seems displeased to promise anything yet".

Liara shuffled on her feet and looked nervously at a side. While she tried to be inconspicuous about her actions, Garrus noticed. He couldn't really think much about it, though.

"He's waiting for Shepard to get back on his feet" Garrus concluded. "I can't say I blame him. If Shepard recovers, he might have enough information on the Geth to offer a good alternative to anything discussed here".

"When he recovers" Ashley stubbornly corrected. "Still, what are we going to do? There isn't much we can do in this system".

"I have a proposal" Liara tentatively chimed in.

Garrus and Ashley traded curious faces before turning, arms folded, to the Asari above. Liara appeared rather hesitant to proceed, uncertain whether whatever she was going to propose was a good idea or not.

"I've come across information that… well… hints at the possibility of a group of Cerberus deserters" Liara told the pair.

Ashley's eyes widened. "Really? Cerberus deserters?" She asked, surprised. "I thought they were all brainwashed or something".

"Intelligence show all captured Cerberus operatives were heavily implanted with cybernetics… It could be a trap" Garrus quickly asserted. "They could have left hints to draw us in".

"That's a possibility" Liara conceded. "I don't quite believe it's a trap. However, I am not sure of the veracity of the claims". She walked around the railings and down the small flight of stairs, headed straight to the projector. There, she started typing on one of the consoles while she kept talking. "You see, I've been studying and investigating Cerberus, trying to discover and unveil the truth of its origins, if only to comprehend the Illusive Man's motivations and actions".

"What's that got to do with anything?" Ashley frowned, perplexed.

"Actually… everything" sighed Liara. "What do you know about Cerberus, Ash?"

The Lieutenant Commander hummed, stroking her chin as she tilted her head. Meditatively, she looked at her feet, trying to draw back all memories she had of when they first encountered Cerberus.

"It was an Alliance covert ops that went rogue" Ashley retold. "They weren't big back then, only a handful scattered cells doing all sorts of illegal experiments and atrocities".

"Unfortunately, that is not close to the truth" Liara replied. A hologram popped into existence in the form of the Cerberus insignia. "Cerberus was actually an ideological movement proposed a few years after the Relay 314 Incident".

"You mean the First Contact War" Ashley corrected. Garrus made an effort not to try to do a correction of his own.

"Ehm… yes, the First Contact War" Liara diplomatically conceded. "It didn't gather strength until… the Skyllian Blitz".

"You mean that period of time when pirates and slavers didn't stop assaulting human colonies across the Skyllian Verge" Garrus elaborated, struggling to remember. "It concluded with the attack on Elysium… which failed because of Shepard" he recalled.

"Indeed. While history would like to believe the Alliance garnered support for their effective defence… truth of the matter is that the Blitz only increased the number of people who did not believe in the Alliance. Torfan had the same effect: a large mess concealed and rebranded a success thanks to the efforts of one single man… Shepard. There is a reason the Alliance went out of its way to paint Shepard as an iconic hero of the Alliance" Liara explained with a grimace. "I rather not say this, but Shepard has been one of the few things that has kept hope in the Alliance".

"So the Alliance had never had a strong hold of its colonies?" Garrus remarked, surprised.

"We didn't have a Unification War like the turians" Ashley retorted.

"Yet" Garrus quipped.

"It wasn't only the colonies. Many businesses and corporations saw the Alliance as an impediment, both due to overreaching bureaucracy and… well…" Liara blushed profoundly, looking flustered "…I quote 'deep, traitorous love for xeno-interests'. Unfortunately for them, the Terminus system was not a better option, leaving them without much of an alternative" Liara carried on.

"Except Cerberus" Ashley scowled.

"Except Cerberus" Liara repeated with an ominous nod.

It was then that Garrus had a terrible realization. The Illusive Man had probably been aware of this back when he revived Shepard. If the colonies and businesses, mostly those in the fence, were going to start associating Shepard with Cerberus rather than the Alliance… it was a genius move.

Not only thankful colonies who appreciated the defeat of the Collectors would see Cerberus in a new light but also all those who were somewhat convinced of the Alliance's capabilities thanks to Shepard. Every person who had looked up to Shepard would stop thinking of Shepard as one of many within the Alliance, but rather a distinctive hero and sole capable individual inside the Alliance. It was not the truth, admittedly. Turians had been repelled decades in the past by a strong human army of many great men and women… but it was easier to propagandise Shepard for his many feats. The turian grimaced. Sometimes he wondered if he hadn't been underestimating the Illusive Man's intelligence.

"Look, Liara, I appreciate the history lesson. However, what does this have to do with Cerberus deserters?" Garrus wondered.

"I was about to explain that" Liara said as she worked on the console. Below the Cerberus insignia, different new insignias with attached names started popping into existence. "I've been able to gather a list of names of suspected Cerberus supporters – I haven't been able to confirm this, though".

"Sirta Foundation?!" Ashley spat. "You've got to be kidding me!"

"No wonder the Illusive Man's credit accounts seem to run so deep" Garrus glumly stared at the many icons and names. He turned to Liara, still curious. "And this has to do with the deserters…?"

"I'm going to explain it, so please, patience" Liara smiled at Garrus, chuckling at his impatience. "As I was saying…" she sent a meaningful look at the turian, who huffed at the asari. "There are a wide range of foundations and corporations that actually work for Cerberus and have, in secret, while the more visible Terrorist group branded with the same name drew in the attention of the Alliance and the Council.

"The Illusive Man, for all his faults, is certainly an intelligent person, at least intelligent enough to coordinate the efforts of unsuspecting scientists hired by the foundations and the experimentation done by the rogue elements" Liara grimaced as she explained it all.

"Oh, I see" Ashley grinned, proud of figuring what Liara meant. "While the foundations did the legal legwork, the terrorist former-Alliance bunch – the ones we met years ago - were actually doing the dirty work".

"That's correct. How it was done? I am not sure. However, since the arrival of the Reapers, these scientists, who didn't know who they were working for, have been told the truth – or so I suspect" Liara shared with the two.

"I assume that those unwilling to keep working for Cerberus were… terminated?" Garrus guessed.

"It would appear to be the case" a sick looking Liara nodded. "There has been a surprising pattern in one of these foundations in which there were sudden… ehm… terminations accompanied by disappearing scientists. Thing of the matter is that while most of them were later confirmed by my agents as Cerberus operatives, there has been a number that have merely… vanished".

"You mean, they could have run away?" Garrus mused.

"I didn't have any evidence to support that possibility… until recently" Liara typed on the console and the holograms turned into a galaxy map. A large circle formed on one system, before zooming in. "I suspect that our running scientists are on Gellix, a planet of the Arrae System and inside the Minos Wasteland star cluster".

"Maybe we should check it out" Ashley told Garrus. "We have cloaking tech, don't we?"

Garrus hummed, considering the proposal. It did sound like it would be beneficial if Liara's suspicions were correct. Still, there was always the possibility the Illusive Man was counting on Liara's growingly revitalized network of spies and agents. With Shepard out cold, they had to be careful.

"I wonder what Shepard would say about this..." Garrus wondered, already knowing the answer.

"He probably would have already told Joker to change course" Ashley snorted, amused. Her smile, though, faltered. "I hope he gets back to business soon…" she confessed.

"Don't worry. This is Shepard we are talking about" Garrus huffed. "He'll be back. Of that, I'm certain".

* * *

 **Author Notes**

 **I actually had plans to make this chapter a lot longer, with Garrus going to Gellix and doing the Ex-Cerberus scientists mission from the game. Given the length of said adventure and my current plans on the whole debacle, I think it will be best this way. Considering what's going to happen there (hint: it will not go down as in the game [*evil cackling*]) I rather not spill it all out at once.**

 **The more reviews, the merrier! I can't deny that I like reading them, especially the lengthy ones. So what do you think of the story thus far? Any expectations? Anything you haven't liked?  
**

 **By the way, has anyone actually started to piece out what Cerberus' deal is really about? I might have slipped up already in previous chapters.**

 **I'll hopefully get the next chapter out soon enough... although I make no promises! Work will certainly complicate matters...  
**

 **Best wishes,**

 **The Emerald Commander**


	19. Chapter VII: The Darkness on Gellix, PI

**Chapter VII: The Darkness on Gellix, Part I**

Gellix… of all the godforsaken, frigid places Cerberus could have established a hidden base, it just had to be Gellix. Perhaps it was the inhospitable nature of the planet which first drew the evil organization or maybe how isolated and wasted it happened to be. Regardless, Jacob Taylor couldn't help swearing at the tall cold mountains every morning as he helped to clear the landing pads.

Tall, muscular and clad in skin-tight black light-armour, Jacob muttered as he worked on removing the snow. Here he was, former operative of Cerberus, former crewmate of the SR-2 Normandy and survivor of the Suicide mission across the Omega 4 Relay… shovelling snow. Jacob swore a bit more. With a shiver, he cursed his choice of clothing. Unfortunately, given the circumstances, there wasn't much of a choice to go around.

There were two landings pads outside the metal hanging platform of the base. Each of them always had the same annoying blanket of snow on top to the point Jacob wondered if the place had been abandoned for its stupid design or location. Maybe Cerberus just thought it was too cold to keep running the place. Well, he already knew this base had probably served its purpose at one point and, without any further use, was left aside by Cerberus. Still, Jacob wanted to believe Cerberus hated the base as much as he did.

"How are you holding out there Jacob?" He heard from his earpiece.

And just like that, Jacob found himself – albeit the coldness and the ugliness of Gellix and the menial task at hand – smiling like a fool. He stopped working and, still holding his shovel, answered the call.

"Doing fine, Brynn" Jacob replied. With the communication channel open, he got back to work. This time, he did so with pleasure. "A bit nippy out here" he added.

"Don't worry, I'm sure I can make it up to you later" Brynn, on the other side, sultrily hummed.

By that point, Jacob was grinning like it was payday. "I'm going to hold you to that" he told her. "So what's up?"

"Not much… it's starting to get dull in here" the woman at the other end sighed. "There is little that can be done, after all – other than worrying, and working on the same project with what little we have can be exasperating". With a sobered tone, she added "I still can't believe the Reapers are here".

Jacob paused on his work, grimly grimacing at the snow below. "Yeah…" he softly agreed. "I thought we had more time…"

"One or two years wouldn't have changed anything, really" Brynn grunted with disdain.

"I know" Jacob morosely nodded. "But hey, here we are, in Gellix. We couldn't have been in any better place, am I right?"

"Are you being sarcastic, mister?" Brynn wondered, amused.

"What? Me? Sarcastic? No" Jacob chuckled. "I mean, I love this place. Abandoned Cerberus base in one cold hell-hole… what else could I've asked for?"

"Don't jinx it, Jacob" Brynn giggled.

"You know me, Brynn, I -" Jacob was happily saying, only to be interrupted at the other end.

"Wait, something's coming up" the woman stated, concerned.

Jacob frowned. He turned around, looking over at the tall square building there. Near the top, behind tall rectangular windows, was the command centre where Brynn and others were at. Jacob glanced at the few others working outside with him.

"Jacob, we've got company" Brynn declared, terrified.

"Pirates? Reapers?" Jacob asked, wide-eyed.

"Cerberus"

The dark-skinned man felt himself unable to breath. It couldn't be. They had been discovered?

"Everyone!" Jacob yelled. The five other people, all clad in old Cerberus jumpsuits without the organization's insignia, snapped their heads at him. "Back inside!"

They didn't need to be told twice. With fear gripping their hearts, they all raced towards the large blast doors. Jacob looked around across the horizon, wondering if he could perhaps see Cerberus.

"I guess I'm sorry" Jacob glumly said through the coms as he walked backwards, eyes studying the many mountains for anything suspicious. "For jinxing it, I mean".

"I'm sure you'll make it up for it" Brynn grimly replied. "Now get your butt in here, Jacob!"

The man nodded and hurried after his fellow runaways. Across the blast doors, Jacob was greeted by the familiar sight of the cold, large hangar bay. Six Cerberus shuttles were parked across the massive chamber, in rows of three against each all, angled towards the centre. One could see working tables, spare parts and cables in a mess of greys and steel. Grime and dirt covered most of the place, and the smell of fuel and oil always hit one's nostrils. To his left was a door, which most of Jacob's colleagues were running through and up a series of stairs.

"We are all inside" Jacob told Brynn.

"We are immediately going into shut down" the woman announced. Through the base' speakers, she said: "we have been discovered! All children and women, to the safe rooms! Everyone else, into positions!"

Jacob felt his heart drumming to the tempo of battle, the familiar feeling of thrill and excitement coursing through his blood. As much as he wanted to deny it, this was what he was trained to be: a soldier, a warrior. With the blast doors closed and locked, Jacob sprinted up the stairs.

To say the many runaways were frightened would have been underplaying the situation. All around the large command centre, former scientists talked in hushed, hurried tones either worrying over the situation or talking with whoever would stay back to fight. They were distributing guns, mostly from the armoury but none looked remotely ready to use them. Jacob found Brynn by the consoles, on one end of the room under the window and the warmth of Gellix's sun.

"Brynn" Jacob called.

The woman in question happened to be an average height scientist, with short cropped jet-black hair and hardened brown eyes. At the moment, her face was marred with worry as she eyed the approaching man. Admittedly, Jacob couldn't deny that the uniform accentuated just the right parts… then again, at the time he had better things to concentrate on.

"Jacob" replied the woman.

"What's going on?" He asked.

"Three cruisers – they have just been picked up by our scanners" Brynn gravely informed the man. Her arms wrapped around her body, afraid. "How did they find us?"

Jacob didn't have an answer. "No idea" he sighed. "Three cruisers? Damn… have they spotted us?"

"We've detected multiple smaller ships… fighters, maybe" one of the people near them on the consoles chimed in. "We won't be leaving any time soon".

"They'll form a perimeter and corral us here…" Jacob hummed as he scratched his short goatee below his equally short moustache. "What's the status of our Anti-Aircraft defences?"

"Operational" he replied.

"Keep an eye out for anything" Brynn ordered the man, who nodded and got back to the console. She turned to Jacob, baring her fear for him to witness. "What are we going to do?"

"I think it's time we contact the Alliance" Jacob sighed.

"They'll never get here in time" Brynn countered. "And this entire region of the planet is uninhabited. I doubt there is anyone that could help us on Gellix – or the Arrae system".

"Then we don't have a choice… we'll have to fight" Jacob firmly stated.

"But we don't stand a chance!" Brynn cried out. "We barely have anyone that can shoot a gun much less confront enemies!"

"Brynn" Jacob called, his hands clasping her shoulders. She seemed terrified and lost. "We both knew this day could come…" he offered a smile. "We can make it. I'm sure of that".

Brynn stared at him, only to close her eyes and take a deep breath. She then nodded reluctantly at Jacob. "Alright, Jacob, but I doubt we can hold our own against anything they throw at us".

"Look, with our AA guns we can keep shuttles off our backs, meaning they won't get a chance to land. All we have to do is secure the lower levels, and potential infiltration entry point, and we could hold out long enough for aid to come" Jacob explained with a grin.

"How can you be so hopeful?" Brynn wondered.

"Hey, I've been through worse" he smugly retorted.

"Smartass" Brynn huffed, a smile crawling on her lips. "We'll prep the shuttles then. I guess we'll load them with essentials and whatever of value we can and destroy the rest".

"You do that. I'll rally who I can and keep our AA guns safe" Jacob nodded firmly. "If Cerberus wants to takes this base, they'll need to remove our anti-air capabilities". _If they haven't already_ , he mentally added.

"You think they'll try to siege this place? This place is a fortress!" Brynn exclaimed, surprised.

"They haven't moved in for orbital bombardment, only enclosed us within a perimeter. That can only mean they are preparing for ground assault" Jacob pointed out. "And it makes sense, doesn't it? Everything you took from the labs plus dozens of top-notch scientists? The Illusive Man will try to get it all if he can".

Brynn grimaced at that, hugging herself morosely. She offered a dubious nod at Jacob, as if giving her permission for him to protect their only hope to keep their base safe. The man didn't pressure her more with anything else, though. He was starting to feel rather nervous himself. After months of basic exercises and only training others with a gun, Jacob didn't feel ready for action. He would do what he had to, though, for Brynn.

He turned to leave, only to be held back by a strong hand. He looked at Brynn, confused, only to be further surprised by firm lips meeting his. As the two broke their small intimate moment, Brynn stepped back, sighing.

"Don't go around playing the hero, Jacob" Brynn begged him. "We are going to need you" she paused, biting her lower lip with eminent hesitance. "I'm going to need you" She added, worry etched on her eyes.

"Don't worry, Brynn" Jacob smirked, pulling off an air of confidence that did not reach his heart. "You'll see. We'll be fine".

As the beefy man strolled confidently past worried scientists and their relatives, he came across a sullen man, already wielding one of their old Lancers. Found in a hidden cache inside the base, they were the best and only thing they had at the moment to fend off any potential ground troops. Edgar Powell, having been private security for most of his fifty five years of life knew that, if the fiery glint on his grey eyes were anything to go by. Tall and thin, it was hard to imagine the man had seen some action in his prime.

"I've gathered a few of the lads" Powell told Jacob with a tight-lipped smile. "We'll see how they fare in a real fight".

Jacob offered a small smile of his own.

"We need to hurry to the AA guns. We lose them, we lose the base" Jacob told the only other man with any military training of sorts.

"No need to tell me" Powell muttered as he glared at the pale, scared and oblivious faces of the gathered crowd. "I've sent a few people to seal the lower entrances and block the maintenance routes with anything they can…" he grimly stared at Jacob, fear in his gaze "we don't stand a chance, do we?"

"There's always a chance" Jacob replied. "Now let's go out and make sure we don't lose those AA guns".

With a new, wider smile, Powell nodded his balding and grey-haired head at the dark-skinned man. The two didn't stall further, they hurried out, gathering those who had gone through basic training. Today would be their baptism of fire, whether for better or worse.

Jacob and Powell traded weary looks as they reached the roof's threshold. They didn't rush out. Instead, Jacob signalled for the others to stop. He nodded at Powell, and the sullen man, scrunching his face with hardened determination moved out, Lancer at the ready.

The roof was a strange mess of large square ventilation ducts, pipes and steam vents. That is to say, there was more than enough cover available for them – and any hidden enemies. Further beyond, on top two separate platforms, were the AA guns. Powell went straight to the nearest duct, taking cover behind it, and checked the perimeter. With the coast clear, he gestured to Jacob with the wave of a hand to advance.

Jacob and the others, keeping their heads down, hurried out. The dark-skinned man was proud that they all seemed to be following their training well, although he was not about to celebrate. It was too early for that. Carefully, and methodically, they reached the AA guns. Much to their relief, they were met with neither enemy troops nor the accurate fire of snipers. In other words, Cerberus hadn't deployed any advance forces, as Jacob had feared.

"They haven't deployed ground troops yet" Powell glumly commented, eyes snapping at every shadows and corner with crazed paranoia.

"Yet" Jacob stated, crouched next to Powell. He studied the mountains around them, and then his surroundings. "That'll change soon" he morosely added.

Could they really survive this? Jacob wasn't so sure. He wanted to believe that there was hope, that maybe they could hold off Cerberus long enough or hit them hard enough to force them to retreat… but three Cruisers were too many a force to merely resist. That and Jacob wasn't about to delude himself. Powell and he were the only ones with any remote military training, and Powell hadn't seen much action. Everyone else might as well be called greenhorns. Cerberus was bound to send at least trained soldiers.

"I don't like it" Powell told Jacob. "Since when is Cerberus this big-ass baddy? Weren't they this covert ops that went rogue? How the hell do they go from that to having three entire battle-cruisers?"

"Last I checked they were already pretty badass… but yeah, Cerberus never made sense to me. Too much power and influence for something small like a splitter group" Jacob retorted.

Truth to be told, Jacob didn't recall ever hearing about Cerberus fleets or the kind when he was working for them. Back then, though, Jacob had believed to have been pretty aware of Cerberus' full organization… until Operation Overlord. How had such badass project gone unnoticed by anyone? The millions invested there… it had been crazy. Worse, that was considering project Lazarus, which was pretty big already with an entire space station with hundreds of personnel dedicated on one purpose. Just how big was Cerberus?

He pressed his earpiece, opening a channel. "Brynn, any updates on our scanners?"

"We haven't picked anything yet" Brynn replied. "Maybe they don't know we are here…" but she already knew that was not be the case. Her tone was clear on that. Moreover, the fact the cruisers moved were orbiting over their position spoke volumes of their purpose on Gellix.

Jacob was of the same opinion. Then again, he had already expected a scouting force to try to infiltrate and disable the AA guns before the cruisers were detected. It would have made sense, or at least that would be if Jacob had been in charge. Without any news, Jacob contemplated what to do next. He signalled, with a wave of his hand, for his militia to check the roof's borders, and took a deep anxious breath. They would have to wait – he was sure they would come, sooner or later.

Silence. Jacob, and the others, wearily looked around. To think there was a small army hovering above them, in orbit. It was strange to imagine. A gust of cold, bitter air slapped them on the face, drowning them in the whooshing sound of the wind. As their hearing cleared and their shivering stopped, Jacob made out the faint sound of something else whooshing. He frowned, confused. It sounded off… almost like…

"Host -" BANG. SPLAT.

Jacob, startled, snapped his head behind him, where someone collapsed, limp, onto the ground next the roof's edge. On the exhaust vent, splattered in a gruesome display, were that person's brains. Jacob was quick to recognize the poor soul: Johanna Khan. Her dead dark eyes bore into his just as all hell broke loose.

"Enemies!" Powell yelled, firing at a side.

Jacob broke off his stupor, just in time to avoid a whole volley of bullets on his position. He rolled to a side and, with practiced reflexes, aimed his assault rifle. Down his sights, crouched behind a pipe, was a fully armoured foe of the likes Jacob had never seen. The armour was white, and plated, with yellow stripes and a black material underneath. Proudly on the enemy's chest was the much hated symbol of Cerberus. Needless to add, Jacob didn't hesitate on pressing the trigger.

The Cerberus Assault Trooper was hit, but only on the shoulder. He recoiled and spun around. Jacob felt his breath hitch as the foe rolled to a side, off his field of vision. It was as he was allowed to look around that he realized he was in a full-blown skirmish. There were shouts, gunfire and the clatter of bullets striking pipes and ventilation ducts.

On each side of the roof, having materialized out of nowhere, were three of those mysterious new Cerberus lackeys. Jacob didn't recall ever seeing such soldiers before, but he could tell they were rather well trained. Even when outnumber, with the combination of their surprise attack and inexperience on the side of the defenders, they were already pressing against Jacob's people.

Shoot. Kill. Cover. Move. Shoot. Kill. Cover… it was a pattern that the Cerberus soldiers were repeating with mechanical efficiency. Jacob didn't need to watch for long to tell just who had the advantage, especially with how hard it was for Jacob himself to gun down any of those bastards himself.

"Powell we -" Jacob turned to a side, taking cover behind a new ventilation exhaust, only to freeze. Fallen backwards, with a hole on his head, was Powell. The dead face scrunched as if with horrified realization for Jacob to see.

Jacob didn't stare for long. He spotted one of the foes moving and made his shot. The Assault Trooper was swift, though, and rolled forward before Jacob could gun him down. Jacob quickly got back behind cover just as the soldier shot at him. From the corner of his eyes, Jacob spotted movement behind him just as he was being fired upon in front. Jacob didn't give him the chance to take a shot, but he was unable to get the one flanking him either.

Jacob swore. These soldiers were extremely active, with reflexes that were unsettling for normal humans. Worse, their movements were swift. Jacob moved back, crouched, shooting whenever he saw one of those bastards. There was a myriad of shots, a noticeable difference in sounds between those of the defenders and those of the attackers. Other than that… it was chaos to the point Jacob felt suddenly lost and disoriented, a ringing cutting through his skull as he tried to focus.

With fear in his rushing blood, Jacob found himself in the desperate situation of trying to keep the foes off. Whenever he tried to shoot one of them, the bastard would roll away and hide behind cover just for another one to try to flank Jacob.

"Fall back! Fall back!" Jacob yelled.

Before he knew it, however, he was dodging and being surrounded by six of those bastards across different positions. By then, he had reached to exit door. No one else was there.

"Come on, everyone, fall back!" Jacob shouted, only to be fired upon. Pressing himself behind the door frame, he noticed one of his men crawling over to him, having dropping his gun somewhere and looking like a desperate soul who only wanted to live. The poor man didn't get far as a side shot struck him on his head, brain matter colouring a vent to a side.

A volley of bullets startled Jacob, who dropped to the ground. He crawled back, adrenaline pumped into his veins. One of the Cerberus Assault Troopers got out of cover, rifle blazing. Jacob aimed his gun and shot. For once, Jacob managed to hit one of the bastards on the chest… only to see the same bastard flinch a bit, and stand there as if shocked only to menacingly glare at Jacob.

The former Cerberus security chief could only stare in disbelief as the soldier aimed his assault rifle at him, ready to gun Jacob down. It was as if his entire blood froze – in an instant, Jacob felt like his entire body was disconnected from his mind. This was it. He was about to die.

And yet… the moment didn't come. The blinding pain, the great darkness… none. Jacob stared, frozen, and the soldier remained there, equally rigid. They faced each other. In a shocking turn of events, the Cerberus bastard lowered his assault rifle, and stood his ground. More shocking, though, was when a second one joined him at the side, both of them staring at Jacob. He didn't need to wait for any more miracles, though. He slapped the console over his head and locked the door. The last thing he saw of the roof was the blank gaze of their helmets, taunting Jacob from afar.

Only once he was under the blanket of darkness, alone, did Jacob gasp, after having held his breath for too long. His heart madly hammered his chest and his hands shook. At the moment, he felt like his entire soul had been shaken to the very core.

"Jacob? Jacob!"

Jacob took another breath as he crawled against a wall, sitting on the ground. He trembled, struggling. His thoughts were in a haze and his focus lost.

"Jacob?!"

Jacob blinked, before shaking his head. A hand went over to his face, feeling the wetness of large beads of sweat, before he closed his eyes. He then reached for his earpiece.

"Brynn" he managed to say, his voice shaky.

"Oh, thank God you are alright" a cheerfully relieved Brynn Cole replied. "We've just detected multiple shuttles approaching… and the AA guns are down. Did something happen?"

"B-Brynn…" Jacob stammered. "Cerberus… they took the roof…" he gulped.

"Are you alright? Is everyone alright?" Brynn, suddenly fearful, asked.

"They are all dead" Jacob said, the words escaping his mouth while his mind remained awfully blank.

Silence. Jacob merely stared at the wall in front of him, through the darkness, as he struggled with had just happened.

"They are all dead, Brynn… Powell, Khan, Ahmed…" Jacob murmured.

"W-where are you? Were you shot? Did you get away?" Brynn asked hurriedly, desperate to know.

"I made it out…" Jacob replied, closing his eyes. Why was it so hard to focus? He blinked, dazed, only for a hand to reach down on his stomach. Why was it wet?

"Right, I'm sending someone. You hold on right there, you hear me?" Brynn pleaded.

Jacob looked down at his gut. His hands had been covered by some liquid oozing out of there… _Oh_ , he slowly realized, _it's blood_.

"Brynn" Jacob weakly said, the haze in his mind growing. "I- I got hit…"

As those words left him, he nodded off to a side, weak, only to close his eyes. He was found like that, unmoving, with a small pool of blood around him.

* * *

Garrus didn't like the situation. Lost in the world of his thoughts, he stood oblivious on the quivering shuttle, unaware of the demure expressions of his companions. There were three battle-cruisers orbiting the alleged hiding place of the runaway scientists. That couldn't mean anything good. Considering how many troopers could be transported, it was possible that there was a small army ahead of them. If only they had Shepard…

"The base is right ahead" Steve announced, startling the brooding turian. "The LZ looks clear…"

Garrus hummed, considering their options. He eyed his stern companions, one by one: Tali had a dangerous fire glowing on her bright eyes, Liara's own sapphire eyes coldly burned with fierceness, James stoically cracked his knuckles ready for business and Ashley harshly nodded at Garrus. They were as ready as they could possibly be.

"Get us down" he ordered.

"I thought Cerberus would be down there already" Ashley commented, baffled.

"Maybe they are searching for the place" Tali guessed. She turned to Garrus. "I don't like this".

Garrus grimly shared his quarian friend's sentiment. "Me neither" he muttered, holding tight to a hanger.

The shuttle trembled as it landed. A side door opened and the team hurried out. James and Ashley took the lead, wearing heavy plated navy-blue Alliance armours. They took cover behind nearby crates, before signalling their comrades. Garrus was at the rear and, using the scope of his sniper rifle, eyed the nearby surroundings for hidden snipers. Nothing. They were either not there, or hiding well.

"Move out" Garrus commanded.

Behind him, the turian felt the shuddering hum of the shuttle as it settled down, staying ready in case of the need of immediate retreat. Leading the way, the two Alliance marines went out of the landing pad and into the open. Looming over them was a massive cubic structure. It looked almost like a fortress of sorts, a huge steel blast door taunting them as the only entrance. Above and right next to the roof, was an entire floor with shaded windows. Garrus didn't like how exposed they were now that they went towards the blast doors.

The wind picked up and the turian felt an ominous cold shiver run down his spine. He halted on his march, leaving his crouching position to stand tall. Once upon a time, a turian would have stood like that as a fierce predator on the hunt. On that day, Garrus felt like he was the prey. He might have sniffed the air hadn't he had his helmet on, but at the moment, he felt as if he was being watched.

The only warning Garrus had was the red glowing flicker of something. Was it a light? Was it a trick of the lights? Garrus didn't know nor did he have to. Rather, he his body acted. Liara, who stood not far from him with confusion emanating from her stance, could barely comprehend what his turian friend was doing, especially when he dived onwards, towards her.

Three loud, thunderous shots announced what Garrus had failed to realize. Thankfully, he had saved the target of three snipers. Liara, though, was too disoriented and shocked to take in what had just happened.

The turian rolled forward and, with his own sniper rifle, took away to the mountain on his left. There, clad in black, was one of those Cerberus snipers, standing as if surprised he had missed. Garrus took the shot… Cerberus lost one sniper that day.

"Snipers!" James yelled, grabbing the shell-shocked Liara and dragging her away unto safety.

Once they were underneath the shadow of the walls at each side of the blast doors, the team were deafened by a strong gust of chilling Gellix air. However, as it faltered into silence, they were all frozen when they heard the whooshing shush of jet packs. Indeed, all around and coming from below, appeared Cerberus ground forces. From the edges of the landing zone, Assault Troopers and Centurions hurried into cover.

"Garrus, fighters!" The turian heard through his helmet. It was Steve. "They were hidden behind the mountains!"

"Return to the Normandy" Garrus ordered, his heart racing.

"We are surrounded!" Tali shouted.

"Open fire!" Garrus yelled.

With wide eyes, Garrus realized that they weren't only surrounded: they were outnumbered, and by a lot. They weren't firing on them, though, only moving into cover. Why they weren't taking the chance to get rid of their greatest threat? Garrus had no idea.

The blast doors behind them opened and, for a moment, Garrus feared more Cerberus troopers would rush out and pin them down. However, instead, a woman with an old Lancer came out, guns blazing, and told them to hurry inside. Garrus and company didn't need to be told twice as they all run into the fortress.

As Garrus and team reached the safety of what appeared to be a large hangar of sorts, the blast door closed behind them, cutting out the massive army of Cerberus minions from the base.

"Who the hell are you?!" Their saviour screamed.

The turian, still recovering from the shock of what had just happened, turned to study the woman. She was clad on some sort of Cerberus uniform, the sort the SR-2 wore before Shepard's arrest – or at least detained. The uniform, though, had been modified so as not to bare the hideous insignia of Cerberus. If he had to guess, she was one of the runaway scientists they had come to rescue. Oh, the irony...

"Garrus Vakarian" Garrus grunted. "We are here with the Alliance" he muttered as he studied the hangar bay around them. It was then that he spotted other shaky, scarred people with the same clothing as their female rescuer. "We actually came for you but…" he sighed, shaking his head "you can see how that went".

"Yeah, we wanted to tell you when you landed" the woman said, calming down. There were large beads of sweat on her face and a lot of terrified exhaustion, the look of a woman who had a large burden gnawing on her mind. "But we couldn't reach you through the coms" she elaborated. "Cerberus did something to our coms…"

Garrus pressed a side of his helmet. "Steve, what's your status?"

Silence.

"Cortez, what's your status?" Garrus repeated, feeling the boring looks of his friends. "Cortez, do you read me?"

"Garrus…" Liara softly said, laying a hand on the turian's shoulder. The turian looked at her, unwilling to believe Steve Cortez would simply… go down. No, it couldn't be… It was probably jamming technology. Yes, it had to be that…

Garrus removed his helmet, turning to address his team. They were all shaken and troubled. "Are you alright? Is anyone hurt?" He asked.

"I – I was almost killed" Liara murmured as she removed her own helmet. Her blue eyes were wide and devoid of any joy or life, and her face was a very pale pearl blue.

"What the hell was that?!" James suddenly cried out, venting out. "W-we could have died there!"

"But we didn't" Ashley stated impassively. The way her tone lacked any emotions drew everyone's attention. "They actually let us go…" she softly added, bewildered.

"It is a trap" Tali gasped with dawning realization. She turned to Garrus, who was equally thunderstruck. "They want us trapped in here".

Between a myriad of troopers hidden away and fighters concealed under the shadows of mountains, it all led Garrus to believe that, indeed, Tali was correct in her assessment. However, it didn't explain one thing… Garrus turned to the woman, clad in the old Cerberus uniform without the insignia.

"Why? Why wouldn't they want to kill you?" The woman frowned at them, confused. Her frown deepened as she received a call. After pressing an earpiece on her right ear, she spoke. "What is it?" She asked. "A call?" The woman's face shifted into surprise "for…" her eyes turned to Garrus, filled with horror. "We are receiving a call… for Garrus Vakarian".

Garrus grimaced as only a turian could. As the rest of his team glanced at him and stood around him, clenching their guns for reassurance, a sense of foreboding washed over them.

"Come, let's see what this caller wants" the woman muttered, walking off and gesturing for the newcomers to follow. "I'm Brynn Cole, by the way".

"You are in charge, I presume" Garrus remarked.

"Yes" Brynn sighed wearily. "How did you find us?" She asked as they walked up the stairs.

"I had been searching for you since your disappearance… only recently my agents found any evidence of your whereabouts – particularly unauthorized transmissions coming from within this system. It's likely Cerberus found out in the same manner" Liara whispered.

"Crap" Brynn swore. "I knew they were a bad idea…" she ruefully shook her head. "But with the Reapers and all… we were dying for news".

"I can understand" James sympathetically grunted. "We are all going crazy about Earth… at least most of us are".

"What's the situation?" Garrus asked.

"Horrible" Brynn spat despondently. "We tried to secure the AA guns but lost them on the first encounter. Lost good people… only one person survived but he is heavily injured. Other than that… we've been holed here for two hours until you showed up". As they reached the end of the stairs, into the crowded command centre that was overwhelmed with frenzied people, she turned to them. "They were waiting for you".

"We've realized that" Garrus muttered.

It was as they all walked out that the sobbing and murmurs died out. All heads snapped in their direction, all sharing the same blank hopelessness. It was daunting to witness. The team followed Brynn as she lead them to the console right behind the same shaded windows they saw from outside. There was a small crowd around one of the terminals in particular, grimly waiting for Brynn. The woman stepped to a side and gestured for Garrus to step forward, towards the console. The message was obvious: answer the call.

The turian reluctantly went to the terminal. He didn't outright type in to open a communication channel. He felt in his gut that whoever was calling, it was not going to go down well. He glanced at his comrades for reassurance. They looked at him, expectant for what would follow. Only then did Garrus answer the call.

"This is Garrus Vakarian" Garrus firmly declared.

"About time, Bird-Face!" A female, harsh voice exclaimed, exasperated. There was a synthetic shrill embedded there, one that made Garrus shudder.

Garrus' eyes widened. He heard Tali gasp behind him. "Jack?" He murmured, floored.

"Hey, you there? I'm waving at you" Jack said from her end.

Garrus, with his heart beating against his chest with desperation, looked over the console and down the window. He knew what he expected… but even then his blood chilled at what he saw. Standing there was Jack, just not how Garrus remembered.

Jack had always been a petite woman with a rather deceptive slim frame. However, clad in Phantom armour, and with her tattoos hidden, she was rather intimidating. Her head was exposed, revealing a long brown ponytail on her face and blood-red cybernetics snaking across her pale skin that made her eyes glow in a phantasmagorical shade of crimson. Her smile was creepy with the scarlet shine of the implants, as well as the dangerous glint it gave to her visage. A Phantom's helmet was held against her hip, as she lazy stared at Garrus. She was, indeed, waving at them with her free hand, in the middle of a sea of Cerberus troopers that busied themselves with turrets, mobile barricade and generators.

"Alright, listen here, Garrus, I'd love to chit-chat and do all that buddy-buddy thingy" Jack chuckled. It still had that sadistic tone that Garrus remembered well. "But hey, I'm a grown girl and I'm here for business, nothing personal".

"Why are you with Cerberus?" Garrus interrupted, desperate to know. "You've always hated them! Don't you remember Pragia?"

"Remember it? Geez, Garrus, I can't forget about it even if I wanted to" Jack huffed, only to shrug dismissively. "Look, I know this is surprising and all… I mean, gee, I was shocked when I joined Cerberus".

"The Jack I know would have never joined Cerberus, not without a good reason" Garrus countered.

"I'm no longer the stupid woman-child you picked up from some backwater prison!" Jack growled. Garrus saw her scowl at the floor. "Look, we'll all talk about this and have a good laugh with some cold drinks once you surrender".

"We aren't going to surrender" Garrus declared with an air of finality.

"Oh really?" Jack smugly smirked up at Garrus. Even with the distance setting them apart, Garrus could make out the blasted smile. "Didn't you realize it yet? This was one big-ass set up by the Boss. When he found out about those traitors and thieves holed like rats next to you, he knew you would come running here like the goddamn heroes we are, am I right? Hell, Garrus, he knew your Blue friend there would pick up the breadcrumbs and bring you all here. Face it, you are trapped and you don't have Shepard to get you out".

Garrus was, for a moment, taken aback, only to softly hum. There were a few things not adding up. "Why did you trap us with the scientists though?" He queried. The silent unasked question that Garrus really wanted to know, though, was: why hadn't Cerberus already stormed the base and waited for them inside?

"Ah, there is Detective Bird-Face to the rescue" Jack laughed tauntingly. "Let's just say the Boss wants to open your eyes. Trust me, he knows what he is doing". It might have been Garrus, but he thought he heard a "or at least I hope so" muttered at the end.

"What are you up to?" Garrus sighed, exasperated. He was so tempted to mimic Shepard and pinch his nose with frustration…

"It's a game, really. Wanna hear the rules? They are easy-peasy" Jack laughed. It irked Garrus to no end. "While we camp out here and wait for your surrender, why don't you figure out what's the Boss' deal with those rats? I can give only one clue. Are you ready for the clue? It's very important and I won't be repeating it!"

"Stop fooling around, Jack!" Garrus growled.

"Hey, I'm the one who gets to freeze her arse out here" Jack muttered, sobering up. "Alright, this is the clue: there's something out of place in there that isn't what it looks".

Garrus sighed, annoyed. What could she possibly mean that there is something that isn't what it looks? He looked at Brynn, who shrugged, equally confused.

"Garrus" Jack's tone was now serious, neither playful nor taunting. It was… odd, almost mature and sincere. "Look… I…" she paused, struggling the words. "I'm sorry, alright? I'm doing what I have to. I- I'm sure you'll understand… once we are all together, just like back in the good times".

"You don't have to do this" Garrus softly replied. "Join us… join Shepard".

"It's not that easy, Garrus" Jack sighed with evidence sadness in her voice. From what Garrus could tell, Jack's shoulder were slumped with sorrow. "There's so much you need to know… so much out there you don't understand… once you hear the Truth you'll understand".

Garrus thought about those words, disturbed. They sounded like she had been Indoctrinated. Could the Illusive Man have Indoctrination technology? He had thought the Illusive Man was controlling the troops through implants… but could there be more?

"Hey, if you need to talk, I'm out here, alright?" Jack chuckled. "You have twelve hours to surrender".

"Jack…" Garrus tried, unwilling to let Jack run away from facing reality. She had joined the same organization that made her childhood hell. How could she live with herself? How could she even wear that insignia on her armour?

"Stop making this harder than it must, Bird-Brain. Just – just find the blasted thing and surrender already" Jack grunted, only to cut the transmission.

Garrus deflated at that. He stared at Jack's form as she ignored him completely, choosing to turn around and walk off to the landing pad. All around, the turian saw different shuttles rising from below and deploying more troops. By the looks of it, there were over forty troopers… and those were the visible ones. It was likely there were more spread across various entry points.

"It was a trap" Liara whispered as she went to stand next to the despondent turian. "It's my fault…"

"You did the best with what you had" Garrus told her, forcing a smile (or at least its turian equivalent) on his face. "It is not your fault, Liara".

"I get the feeling the Illusive Man truly hates my guts" the asari sighed sorrowfully.

"That means you are doing something right, doesn't it?" Garrus remarked.

Liara smiled at that, only to sober. "What are we going to do?" She grimly wondered. "We are trapped here with an entire army outside".

"I'll hand it to the Illusive Man, he can be one devious bastard when he wants" Garrus begrudgingly admitted. He shook his head, solemnly studying the massive enemy force outside. "I don't see a way out of this…"

In all truth, Garrus was a hypocrite. He told Liara not to blame herself, and yet he couldn't bring himself not to blame himself. How could he not? All Garrus could think about was his poor leadership skills… how he had led another squad of friends and comrades to their doom.

"If only we had Shepard" Liara said wistfully.

Garrus frowned, eyeing the asari. "How DID they know Shepard wasn't with us?" He queried, intrigued. "As a matter of fact, I doubt this plan would have worked with Shepard on board – I mean, we have faced odds as bad as this with him in charge… the Illusive Man must have known that… and Jack… she actually called for ME, not Shepard…"

"You can't suggest that…" Liara blinked at him, disturbed. "He knows Shepard is unconscious". It wasn't a question.

Garrus grimly nodded. That meant only one thing: there was a strong possibility that there was a spy in the Normandy.

"So, Scars, what's the deal?" James asked, anxious. He seemed bothered by the civilians around him.

Garrus turned to the rest of his team, who patiently waited nearby. She looked at Brynn as she stood next to him, distraught.

"Is there somewhere we can talk in private?" Garrus inquired.

Brynn's response was to lead them to what had once been their makeshift armoury. No one was there, and there wasn't much left. If anything, it was little more than a locker room, having been emptied already. At least it was quiet, and cut off from the rest of the base. It was, in other words, perfect for the team.

"We have twelve hours to come up with something" Garrus told his comrades, bothered by the time limit. Too long to be anything but restless, too short to wait for help. "Cerberus has control of the coms and they outnumber us ten to one… and it was all a set-up".

" _Mierda_ " James hissed as he slammed a fist on a locker.

"What are we going to do?" Ashley asked.

Garrus didn't know what to say. He didn't have any ideas to begin with, much less assess the feasibility of any potential plan. "I don't know" the told them. "The Illusive Man got us good this time".

"We can always go out and teach them a lesson" James boldly suggested. "I mean, we have been kicking their arses already. What's stopping us now?"

"We are outnumbered, outgunned and outmatched" Ashley bluntly spat at the man.

"Hey, it's better than doing nothing" James retorted.

"There must be something else we can do" Tali, nervously wringing her hands, pointed out. Her shotgun rested behind her, just as her handgun was holstered against her hip. "Maybe – maybe we can make a distraction and – and make a run for it?"

"And abandon the scientists?" Ashley muttered, shaking her head. "Yeah, the Illusive Man thought things through this time… the bastard".

Garrus hummed as he was reminded of the scientists. Liara, noticing, frowned at him.

"You can't possibly suggest we play along Jack's – ehm – game" she demanded, uncertain. "It is clear the Illusive Man set up such pretences to generate in-group fighting and for us to waste time on".

"No… it wouldn't make sense. He has more than enough men to just storm this place and get us all. Twelve hours is a lot of time to waste people around" Ashley hummed.

"What if Jack is right, though?" Tali considered. "What if there is something Cerberus wants from the scientists here?"

"That's stupid" James muttered. "If it is important for Cerberus, why tell US about it? Why not take it and make sure we don't get close to it?"

"James is right" Garrus conceded. "But Jack never said it was important for Cerberus, did she?" He hummed as he started pacing. He stroke his chin, thoughtful, calmly pondering on the puzzle at hand. "Something that is out of place and that isn't what it seems…"

"Garrus, please, perhaps we can think about that AFTER we escape" Liara interceded.

"I don't get it" Ashley told James with an air of confusion. "Everywhere we go, Cerberus snuff out scientists left and right… and here they just stick us with them? Why? They want us to snuff them out ourselves?"

"Why would we do that?" James shrugged. He shook his head, as if pitying Cerberus. "I know you said they might be indoctrinated… but that's just acting like a bunch of _pelotudos_ ".

"English, Vega" Ashley sighed, annoyed, only to wave a dismissive hand. "Never mind" she huffed.

"Ehm, what if… we checked the scientists' inventory?" Tali suggested. "We could find something to use and we might figure out what Jack could have meant".

"That's the best option we've got now" Garrus reluctantly admitted.

"Hey, before we do anything crazy, who's this Jack?" James queried with a confused frown.

"Yeah, you've mentioned her a lot… you knew her?" Ashley asked.

Garrus sighed, tiredly folding his arms. "Yes, she and others were part of the suicide mission on the Collector's base. I had no idea where she went after Shepard got detained on Earth, though…" he retold.

"She went to Grissom academy to teach… a space station which was later captured by Cerberus. All students and teachers were kidnapped and we haven't heard about them since" Liara chimed in, unnerved by the memories. It had been partially her fault that Jack had ended up with a teaching position, after all. "Until now, of course…" she softly added.

"We've got a plan, then. Let's go and see if the scientists brought anything interesting with them" Garrus decided with some hope. Maybe not everything was lost.

* * *

"I doubt there is anything of use" Brynn told Garrus as he led the team across rows and rows of crates. "At least for you" she added as an afterthought.

"How in the world did you smuggle all of this?!" Ashley gasped.

She wasn't the only one surprised. James looked like his eyes would pop out of his sockets while Tali… well… she looked like she was surrounded by gold. Given that she was a quarian, her reaction was understandable.

It seemed that the scientists had taken a lot with them and stored it all in some large empty granite chamber. It probably had been a storage room at one point until the base was abandoned, or maybe it had been a lab. Whichever had been the case, Garrus couldn't deny he was impressed. There was a lot of equipment and boxes to go through, and there was no telling what they could find amongst so much stuff.

"We had a freighter with us, actually" Brynn retold, a nostalgic smile reaching her lips. "Jacob crashed it on another system, to make it look like we had all died…"

"Why would you take anything like this?" James wondered as he waved what appeared to be a mechanical arm.

"We are scientists. We couldn't just drop our work and run" Brynn chuckled. "That and we rather not leave anything of value for Cerberus".

"Smart" Ashley commented with approval.

"I must insist, there isn't anything that will be of any help down here" Brynn repeated for the umpteenth time. "Most of the equipment here is rather specific, and data results won't assist you on whatever you are looking for".

"What exactly were you investigating?" Tali hummed, curious.

"Well – we…" the woman cleared her throat, suddenly nervous under the penetrating gaze of the squinting quarian. "We worked on Xenotechnology, mostly".

Garrus felt a sudden itch on his face, mostly on the scarred side. He had to wonder what could be causing it, although knowing humans and their hygiene, it could be an allergy. Then again, who knows what those scientists had stored in here? Maybe some irritable chemical that spilled?

"Alien tech?" James asked, surprised. He looked around the stacks. "Don't tell me you have Prothean stuff somewhere here".

"Oh, we wouldn't really" Brynn amended a bit too quickly for Garrus' liking. Something was definitely odd here – aside from the irritable itching. "Active Prothean technology is extremely rare as it is. No, we mostly studied the basic characteristics surrounding artefacts and the sort, like the physics involved on Prothean interface, which we barely understand".

From the corner of his eyes, Garrus noticed Ashley wandering off around the tall stacked smuggled stuff, a hand grazing the piles, mesmerized by it all. He decided to ignore her exploration, more intrigued by Brynn's sudden bout of nervousness. In fact, Garrus actually felt like he was back at the Citadel, working as a detective for C-Sec.

"Could there be a reason why Cerberus would send three cruisers for you?" The turian asked.

"Aside than to set up a trap for you?" Brynn scoffed. "Speaking of which, why is Cerberus so interested in you?"

"If I had to guess, the Illusive Man – the leader of Cerberus – is more interested on Commander Shepard than us" Garrus replied.

"I know who the Illusive Man is… wait, did you say Commander Shepard? As in… THE Commander? The Survivor of Akuze, the Hero of Elysium, the Butcher of Torfan and the Saviour of the Citadel?" Brynn, blinking repeatedly at the turian, queried.

"The very same" Tali and Garrus chorused with the same level of annoyance.

"Oh God" Brynn gasped. "You are part of Shepard's crew!" She grinned. "Did you take part on the assault on the Collector Base?"

How in the world did she know about the Collector base? Garrus mentally mused. He quickly chided himself. Cerberus had actually spread their little victory as propaganda in their favour. Instead, he said: "yes, we were" he nodded at the woman.

"Then you know Jacob, Jacob Taylor" Brynn seemed rather ecstatic by that revelation.

"Jacob is here?" Tali hurriedly asked.

"Yes" Brynn said with joy, only for her smile to falter. "But he was seriously wounded this morning, trying to defend the AA guns from a Cerberus advance party. He was the only survivor".

Tali and Garrus traded surprised expressions. What a small galaxy... First Jack and now Jacob?

"Could we see him?" Tali queried.

"Yes, although he is still recuperating" Brynn sullenly replied.

"Liara, Ash, James…" Garrus turned to his friend, unsure how to give the order.

"Don't worry, Scars, we've got this place covered" James said reassuringly, giving a thumbs up to the turian.

"Go and see your friend, Garrus" Liara offered a kind, sympathetic smile at Garrus. The turian nodded appreciative of their understanding. She turned to Ashley, surprised how far she had obliviously wandered off. "Ash… are you alright?"

Ashley stood on a particular spot of the many piles equipment, frowning with vehemence as if faced with a mathematical equation. She tilted her head, unaware she was being called.

"Yo, Chief" James called, louder than Liara's gentle voice.

Startled, Ashley snapped her head at the bulky marine, and then at Liara. She seemed disoriented for a moment, only to blink a couple of times.

"What?" She queried.

"Are you alright?" Garrus asked, worried.

"Yeah…" Ashley slowly replied. Strangely enough, she looked far from alright, at least to Garrus. There was something clearly troubling her. "Nothing, I thought I fe- I-I mean, heard something".

Garrus stared at Ashley, pondering whether Ashley had meant to say 'felt' before 'heard'. It was odd to think Ashley would say such a thing, but perhaps it was merely a slip? For the time meaning, he would let it pass. The stress of their situation probably was getting to them, as was the blasted itching.

"Keep searching for anything of use. We'll check on an old friend of ours" Garrus informed the female marine.

"Ehm… yeah, alright" Ashley, with a forlorn expression, dumbly nodded. Her eyes were hazy, lost. She shook her head. "You don't mind if I leave for a moment? I think I'm starting to hear stuff".

"That's never a good sign" James sagely commented.

"There are many dangerous and toxic chemicals down here. They might have leaked or spilled when they were brought to this room… perhaps it would be best if you got some clean air" Brynn agreed. "So…" she added, turning to Tali and Garrus.

"Lead the way" Garrus told her.

As Brynn led Garrus and Tali out, the turian noticed how his quarian friend started wringing her hands in nervous fashion. He hadn't been a detective for nothing, and he could tell she needed to tell him something. He also noticed, much to his delight, that the insufferable itching had stopped. Thus, as they left the storage room out onto a long corridor, he stopped their march.

"Before we go, Brynn, could I speak alone with my friend here?" Garrus politely inquired.

"Ehm… alright?" Brynn replied awkwardly, scratching her head in confusion. "I'll be at the command centre when you two are done". With an uncomfortable wave of her hand she walked away, glancing at them with a bewildered expression.

"What's the matter?" Tali innocently inquired.

Garrus, though, merely looked around for another empty room. He quickly found what appeared to be some type of closet and deemed it secure enough. With a stern face, he gestured at her to enter. She must have picked the finality on his posture, because she didn't protest or question Garrus. Rather, she shyly entered into the small room and allowed the turian to cut them off from the outside.

"Tali… I've get the impression you wish to tell me something" Garrus hummed as calmly as he could.

"I- I don't know what you mean" Tali mumbled, wringing her hands even more. The fact she averted his gaze was telling enough, without the fear and dread in her voice.

"Tali, I won't be asking again" Garrus softly stated. He stood menacingly by the door, making sure there was no escape for his friend. "There is something you are hiding, something you want to tell me but are reluctant to do so… you aren't the first person I've seen act like you do".

Tali swore under her breath. Her shoulder slumped in defeat and, with a despondent shake of her head, turned around to face the far wall. Garrus knew immediately he was not going to like what she was about to reveal to him.

"I know what you thought after Jack called that – that there was a spy on the Normandy…" Tali started.

Garrus' mandibles flapped against his teeth in apprehension. "You are the spy" he stated. Admittedly, he was too disbelieving to react to it.

"No" Tali stated, turning around in an instant, no longer shying away from his inquisitive gaze. "But I'm sure you'll think I am after – after I tell you w-what I wanted to tell you". Tali took a moment to breath, sighing tiredly. "I should have told Shepard… I know I should but…" she ruefully shook her head. "But Liara would have known and- and it would have made it all worse…"

Garrus would have been lying if he said he wasn't lost. He did keep his act together though, and rigidly stood by the door, unwilling to budge until he had heard the last bit of the truth from Tali.

"My people, the Quarians, we…" Tali trailed off, unable to formulate a coherent sentence, her voice embedded with regret. "We are the ones responsible for Cerberus' growth. Garrus…" she looked away, afraid of Garrus' reaction. "We built Cerberus' fleet and armaments".

Garrus didn't know how to feel about that. At the moment, he was petrified – flabbergasted. "How long?" he managed to ask.

"Months now… right after Shepard was detained. The Illusive Man approached our people and offered- he offered a deal we couldn't refuse" Tali softly retold, her bright eyes staring into the eyes of her turian friend. She could see the denial on his gaze, the hope that she was lying, or pulling his leg. "Medicine, food and raw materials, all in exchange of our engineers. We couldn't say no".

Garrus suddenly felt like his legs would give in at any moment.

"We built entire factories, Garrus – massive shipyards like never before" Tali retold with a hint of pride and remorse. "For the first time in centuries we- we had everything we needed to thrive: we had the will, the expertise… and now we had the resources and funding. You don't know how it felt to finally grow after so many generations of stagnation".

"W-why would your people work for Cerberus? I thought your people hated Cerberus" Garrus wondered.

"We did… but it's hard to hate the only business partner we had in centuries" Tali scoffed. "Don't you understand what this meant to my people? We had the opportunity to build entire new ships – Ancestors, Garrus, we managed to build our own new live-ship!"

"A ship? That's it?" Garrus spat. The quarians betrayed everyone and everything… for some meagre ships?

"You wouldn't understand!" Tali screamed, furious. "To you a ship is a pitiful thing! One of many! Oh, right, why in the name of the Ancestors would YOU care about one stupid spacecraft? To us they are our homes! Our future! You don't understand what it means to us to be able to build our ships with our own bare hands!" She growled at him, enraged. "How could you? How could you even hope to comprehend what it is like to be a vagrant, a scavenger, who sees the wastes of others as precious!"

Garrus felt a pang of guilt at that. It was true, he couldn't even dream to one day understand what being a quarian meant. For starters, their cultures were very different and, secondly, so were their situations. The turians had been a dominant species for centuries, thriving, while the quarians have been forced to wander off, homeless, stuck in old, battered ships…

"It didn't stop there" Tali carried on, taking deep breaths as she tried to calm down. "The Illusive Man offered more and more… want more element zero? Done. Want more metal for your ships? Done. Want financing for your war against the Geth? Done".

"And in turn you made Cerberus one of the most powerful militaries in the Galaxy to the point it now rivals the Alliance" Garrus concluded. "The entire human territory is at the brink of civil war, Tali!"

Tali entire fierce demeanour vanished, replaced with shame.

"You backstabbed Shepard" Tali visibly flinched at that, too ashamed to look at Garrus. "You betrayed him. He was the first to entrust you with anything, to see the good and potential in your people… and you cast it aside in your greed" Garrus remarked. "Spirits, Tali, he cares deeply for you!"

"DO YOU THINK I DON'T KNOW THAT?!" Tali screamed as she snapped her face at Garrus, tears covering her face underneath her visor. "Do you think I don't know he would sacrifice anything for me? Do you think I don't know how this will hurt him?" She fell to her knees, crying. "He is willing to risk his life to help my people… and we betrayed him…" she sobbed. "We didn't know Cerberus would do what they did… w-we thought they might have changed… that they w-w-were preparing for the Arrival…"

Garrus pondered on what had just transpired. Admittedly, he didn't feel comfortable with a tearful Tali. He grimly looked away, wondering what Shepard would do at the moment. Would he be pissed at Tali? Would he be forgiving? If Garrus had to guess, Shepard would try to be at least understanding: he would probably understand that circumstances pushed Quarians to take the choices they did and… Garrus frowned. What did Shepard usually do? Ah, yes, think ahead…

"Tali… are the quarians still helping Cerberus?" He asked.

Tali shook her head. "If –if we retake Rannoch w-we won't need the Illusive Man's resources" sniffed, looking up from her kneeling position.

"Look, what your people did was…" _treachery_ , he mentally finished. Garrus was thankful he had managed to hold his tongue long enough. "Foolish but… considering the state of the quarians and how the rest of the Galaxy treated you I – I suppose it is understandable". Or at least that's what Shepard would say. Garrus, on the other hand, was a lot more clear-cut on such issues and he was not going to be as forgiving. But it was not his place to judge, he would leave that to Shepard's wisdom.

"Y-you think so?" Tali asked, surprised.

Garrus merely hummed in his struggle not to voice what he really thought. "You must tell Shepard" he concluded. "You are only making your people's situation worse by keeping this information like this".

"I- I know" Tali nodded as she stood up, sniffing as the last tears fell down her cheeks. "But I couldn't, not with Liara".

"What's the problem with Liara?" Garrus wondered, tilting his head.

"She has the entire ship bugged!" Tali exclaimed. "If she discovered what we quarians have been doing the last few months, she would make sure the Alliance and Council heard about it".

"Liara wouldn't do that…" Garrus said, only to trail off.

Considering what Cerberus had been up to, perhaps Liara would have actually informed the Alliance and Council about the origins of Cerberus' military might. Who could blame her? Cerberus was threatening the entire Crucible Project, the last hope for Thessia and, as much as Garrus hated to admit it, Palaven.

"And- and I didn't know how Shepard would react" Tali admitted. "I was afraid… afraid he would…"

"Choose Liara over you?" Garrus guessed.

Tali didn't deign to respond, only glare at her feet, at least for a moment. "Yes" She nodded firmly, the last signs of guilt washing away.

Garrus blinked, surprised Tali had decided to be honest about her feelings on the matter.

"But that isn't all" Tali carried on, demure. "Garrus, how do you think the war for Rannoch will end?"

The turian tilted his head, baffled. How was the war supposed to end? Well, with the Quarians reclaiming their home-world and… oh. He slowly nodded at Tali, realizing what she was alluding to.

"With either the Geth keeping Rannoch or the Quarians reclaiming it" Garrus grimly replied. No matter how he thought about it, odds were that only one side would end up with the planet. The fate of the looser… well… it wouldn't be pretty.

"And who do you think will probably decide on how the war will end?" Tali queried.

That was an easy question, but it disturbed Garrus to no end.

"Shepard" Garrus grunted.

He closed his eyes. Of course, such decisions always ended on Shepard's shoulders. It all suddenly made sense. The Quarians couldn't risk antagonizing Shepard, and sadly they had screwed up big time by their latest act of treason. He could understand why Tali would be apprehensive about informing Shepard about their slip up.

"If Liara told the Alliance and Council, Shepard would be pressured to make the decision against the quarians, even if it is in favour of the Geth" Tali explained.

"Shepard faced the same challenge on Tuchanka, Tali, and he stood steadfast on his beliefs over any political gain" Garrus countered.

"At what cost? Do you think Shepard has the luxury of choosing his ideals over his people?" Tali rebutted. "After Tuchanka the entire Council thought Shepard was in cahoots with Cerberus – a lot of people still think that! He has lost the Alliance a lot of support! He repeats that and- and he might be imprisoned, again."

Garrus sighed exasperatedly. "Please, Tali, tell me the truth. Are the quarians working with Cerberus right now?" He asked, glaring down on Tali.

"No" Tali coldly retorted. "We are not. All we wanted was to survive, and to retake our rightful home-world. After we reclaim Rannoch, we'll help the Alliance".

"Then you need to tell that to Shepard before Liara figures it out and tells him herself" Garrus pointed out.

Tali morosely looked away, burdened by the task at hand and the shame of her actions.

"Argh, Spirits, why must this be so complicated" muttered the turian. "Let's leave this for another time. Right now, we have more pressing matters to tend to".

Tali nodded. "Yes, you are right" she conceded. "I'll tell Shepard when he wakes up… the full truth".

Garrus nodded with approval. Honesty and sincerity would be a welcomed changed on board the Normandy. However, there was still a problem to be dealt with. As Garrus opened the door to the small room and walked outside, he pondered on the issue.

"If you aren't the spy for Cerberus… then who is?" Garrus wondered, looking at Tali.

Truth to be told, Garrus was not about to dismiss Tali as the spy, not just yet. However, he wouldn't be closed-minded about it. Tali might not be the only spy on board the Normandy, after all.

"I'm more curious to know what Jack wants us to find here" Tali replied, worried.

Garrus couldn't deny he too had a very bad feeling regarding that. Something dark was trapped inside with them. Was it a secret? Or was it something much, much worse?

* * *

Ashley Williams blinked once. Twice. Thrice. She tilted her head, staring at herself on the mirror in front. She felt… odd. It the weirdest sensation she could ever recall. It was as if… as if something crawling beneath his skin and skull. It had started when she had explored the storage room. Somehow, as she walked, she felt… something. Ashley couldn't explain it. The sensation was, after all, very alien in nature although it came off as an echo. Then came the tingling on the nape of her neck.

The Lieutenant Commander looked around, thankful no one was in that bathroom to comment on her odd behaviour. Unfortunately, she was scared. No, terrified. Something was wrong with her, or at least something was… off. She didn't know what and that bothered her greatly.

For a moment, Ashley merely stared at her reflection. Her skin was almost polished and healthy, not to mention unblemished. A hand softly brushed against the smooth surface of her face. Even to that day she couldn't believe she hadn't gotten any serious injuries from that grenade on Tuchanka. It was almost miraculous how she had recovered. Shepard really knew how to pick his hospitals, apparently.

Truly, Huerta Memorial Hospital had done the trick. How? She had no idea, but she was thankful. The last thing she wanted were nasty scars – although a few badass ones wouldn't be much of an issue, just… none that screamed: I got blown by grenade because I rushed headfirst into a firefight. With a sigh, she decided she had been more than enough of a coward and vain staring at herself for that long and, thus, left. Lazily, she scratched the nape of her neck.

As she walked past the mirror, Ashley failed to notice something. It happened in a flash, perhaps too fast for anyone to truly notice. Across the reflection's neck, small veins suddenly glowed in a strong bright red only to disappear, underneath her skin…

* * *

 **AUTHOR NOTES: Thank you for the reviews! I just hope more people get to give their opinion, for better or for worse. I won't deny I like reading other people's review and I'll admit I always look forward to them each time I post a chapter. If you have anything to say about the story, be it a remark, plot-hole that I missed or a confusing part, feel free to say so. I always strive to get better, and with English as my second language I might slip up more often than not.**

 **I certainly got carried away with this section. I had hoped the entire Ex-Cerberus mission would go faster, but for some reason it really drew me to write, write and write, so I apologize for the length of this and the next chapter.**

 **Coming up next, The Darkness On Gellix Part II. Will Garrus managed to stand up to the challenge and escape Cerberus? What's being hidden in Gellix? What are the ulterior motives of the Illusive Man here?**

 **Best wishes,**

 **The Emerald Commander**


	20. Chapter VIII: The Darkness on Gellix PII

**Chapter VIII: The Darkness on Gellix, Part II**

Jacob Taylor gazed into the mountains beyond, arms crossed over his chest. If he had disliked Gellix before, he now despised it entirely. With a stern scowl, he couldn't help cursing this planet. Gellix… what a hell-hole. He sighed, shaking his head. Now was not the time for childish musings. Turning to his right, he looked at none other than Garrus Vakarian, who silently stared at him.

Where had they come from? How had they found them? Jacob had no idea, but he sure was glad to see him, and Tali. He knew that their odds were close to null as it was but maybe, just maybe, Jacob's old acquaintances could pull out a miracle.

"How long do we have?" Jacob asked the turian.

"Eight standard hours" Garrus answered with a turian grimace.

Jacob sighed, marching away from the window of the dark room and to the large desk that laid at the very centre. The office, with a breath-taking view of Gellix' frigid surface, had become their little impromptu war room, if you could call it that. With a couple of lockers, a desk and an empty shelf, the place was a bit too bare for anyone's liking. Still it was, for two soldiers who only sought to carry a grim discussion, good enough.

Garrus didn't comment on Jacob's limp, or the way a hand went over his gut where he had been shot. He did stare at him, studying the injure comrade of his. From what he had learned recently, Jacob had been shot with something unlike any other projectile Garrus had heard about. Apparently, medi-gel wasn't going to do the trick any day now and odds were Jacob would need a medical specialist soon. That didn't stop Jacob, though. He stubbornly wanted to help, even if it was under the eminent danger of reopening his grievous wounds.

"There must be something we can do" Jacob sighed, pinching his nose.

"I don't see a way out of this scenario" Garrus despondently shook his head, turning around to face the man.

"If we could retake the AA guns…" Jacob started saying.

"We've been over this" Garrus interrupted. "We are heavily outnumbered, and there is no telling what Cerberus did to them. For all we know, no sooner we walk out of the base, Cerberus decides they had enough and move in. Moreover, they already have a large force grounded outside – those AA guns won't be of much use".

"We can't just sit around and do nothing!" Jacob hissed as he slammed a fist on the table. "We can do this, Garrus. We've both faced worse odds than this!"

"Yes, with Shepard, and a team of the galaxy finest" Garrus rebutted. Wearily, he added "and this aren't the Collectors".

"Do you think I haven't noticed?" The dark-skinned man grunted. "They slaughtered my men!"

"Then you know direct confrontation will lead us nowhere, if only to excessive casualties and inevitable defeat" the turian calmly stated. "I understand how you feel, Jacob, but acting without much thought will doom everyone here".

"Yeah, yeah, I know" Jacob muttered, shaking his head with disdain. "I hate being so…" he looked at his shaking fist "powerless".

Garrus could sympathize with the man. He too knew very well what it felt being stuck in a place, surrounded by enemies and with not clear way out. The hopelessness, the realization of how futile your struggle had been and was… however, Garrus was not about to let his failed past haunt him now, not when so much depended on his leadership.

"Are you sure there isn't anything in this base we could use?" Garrus asked Jacob.

"We had everything put in the storage room, so if you didn't find anything there, it isn't anywhere else" Jacob shook his head, only to frown "wait, have you checked the shuttles?"

Garrus shook his head. "The shuttles?" he queried.

"Brynn said she would start loading them with things just in case – at least, when I went to the AA guns" the man remembered. He shrugged "there could be something of use".

Garrus hummed in agreement. However, he was also a bit confused as to why Dr Cole hadn't informed them about that. He quickly dismissed it as mere stress and, given the circumstances, it was understandable. There was also the possibility that Dr Cole hadn't actually moved much to begin with.

"Even if we found something… how are we supposed to escape? I'm sure Cerberus knows this base better than us, has access to all entry points and can overwhelm us in seconds" Jacob morosely grunted. "I can't believe they haven't just stormed in and be done with it – no, the bastard had to toy with us".

"The Illusive Man always had a ruthless streak in him" Garrus commented, agreeing with the dark-skinned man. "However, I do believe there is more at play". Jacob raised an eyebrow at the turian, urging him to go on. "I don't think the Illusive Man wants to be wasting time or risk for our escape. For all his faults, he isn't an idiot. He wants us to find something".

"And you want to know what that thing is?" Jacob leaned back, folding his arms as he looked at Garrus with disbelief. "Dude, when the Illusive Man wants something of you, common wisdom says to do the opposite".

"I don't think this is the case" Garrus hummed.

"We should be focusing on getting the hell out of here" Jacob scoffed. "I don't like doing anything the Illusive Man wants us to".

Admittedly, neither did Garrus. However, he couldn't deny that he was awfully curious. After so many firefights, such animosity built up between them and Cerberus… why would they stall now? Why not finish them? They were literally risking their best opportunity to capture them and, through them, Shepard. Perhaps it was merely the Illusive Man's way of gloating… only that the Illusive Man had never really been the sort to gloat in such blatant and foolish manner.

There was a great mystery in place and Garrus hadn't risen across the ranks of C-Sec for nothing. No, he trusted his instincts. He would try and reach the bottom of the whole puzzling scenario.

"Jacob…" Garrus started saying, considering his words carefully. "How did you end up here?"

"You mean, how I got to tag along a group of runaway scientists?" Jacob quizzically asked. Much to Garrus' intrigue, Jacob smiled fondly at that. "Now that's one hell of a story".

Jacob turned around to lean on the desk, still with a smirk on his face. To Garrus, he looked rather amused by something.

"The Illusive Man actually had me infiltrate this foundation – some scientist project – called New Dawn Discoveries… it was privately funded and was based on a space station" he retold. "My orders were to protect the scientists and the work being done there… but you know Cerberus. I could see through the Illusive Man's lies: he wanted the scientists and whatever they were working on".

Garrus was tempted to interrupt Jacob and inform the man that the foundation was actually working with Cerberus all along, or so had Liara suspected. However, Garrus hadn't become a detective of C-Sec for nothing. He knew when to listen and when to ask, and at the moment, he wanted to get a feel on Jacob's perspective if only to solve the overlying puzzle. It did bring a wave of nostalgia.

"The foundation hired me as Chief of Security. Pretty easy with my résumé" Jacob continued with a smirk, oblivious to Garrus' musings. "In any case, months went by and nothing really happened. Everything was going fine. I mean, really, the scientists were making progress and nothing really happened".

"I suppose you were enjoying a relatively quiet life" Garrus suddenly felt like he was back at the Citadel, interrogating people. Getting people to speak, especially when they were oblivious to what he sought to know, had always been Garrus' forte – second only to his more… persuasive interrogations.

"Yeah, it was pretty good" Jacob chuckled, eyes brimming with nostalgia. "Brynn and I started dating. Pretty weird how it all started." Garrus made a mental note to ask Shepard about humans' wooing rituals. "That's when the funny business started happening. Some of my men were starting to disappear. They all just, well, left. One or two I managed to talk to said they had family business to tend to… never heard about them again". By Jacob's grim face and sobered tone, many had probably been close friends of his.

"Then the scientists followed. The foundation said they were going through budget cuts and had to lay off people… but really big names were being snuffed out. I didn't know what was going on, until the Illusive Man called ME back. He told me quit and leave right away" Jacob sighed. "I don't know where Cerberus was in the entire picture, but I knew they were behind it all. Maybe the Illusive Man was trying to recruit them to Cerberus for his own little projects, I don't know. What I do know is that the people that left the foundation – they went missing, for good".

"You must have known something was wrong" Garrus commented.

"Of course I knew something was wrong" huffed the beefy man. "But – damn, I couldn't do anything, and I really wasn't sure of anything. Back then, I thought Cerberus really was changing for the better. We were getting loads of new recruits, all colony kids. You know the type, the one with big, shiny eyes that can see no wrong". Jacob snorted derisively. "But it was all a front, wasn't it? The Illusive Man was still the same hell hound. What did he want? I don't know, but I was not about to be 'terminated' like everyone else. We both know Cerberus does a lot of terrible stuff just for the knack of it".

"What happened?" Garrus cautiously asked.

"The day before I was supposed to leave I- I told Brynn. We were… ehm… discussing stuff" Jacob smirked at Garrus. The turian really didn't see the point of being so elusive about having intercourse, but he wasn't about to question a human thing to a human. "That's where I learned about the truth of the scientists disappearing, how most of them had simply gone missing and how they suspected someone was killing them. I told her what I knew - that Cerberus had asked Jacob… together, we figured it out it must have been them who were 'terminating them'" again with the air quotes. "Brynn told me she and others were planning to run away. And, well…" he shrugged, grinning. "The rest is history".

Garrus tilted his head, utterly confused. There were so many unanswered questions, and the tale gave him such a strange picture, that Garrus couldn't help but feeling that there was a lot more than he could imagine. Firstly, the fact Cerberus started calling Jacob's men back, people related to security, suggested that Cerberus feared a security breach. Secondly, the scientists. Cerberus had always had a habit of losing them in their experiments, but other than that, it was likely Cerberus had the incentives to keep a whole lot of them. Why would they start killing or making them disappear all of a sudden? It couldn't be just interrogation, could it?

"Do you know what Cerberus did to the scientists they 'terminated'?" Garrus wondered.

"I assumed they were killed, probably in some ditch" Jacob muttered. "But now…" he glanced at the window, where a legion of Cerberus troopers awaited. "They might have been brainwashed. Heck, my men could have been brainwashed too".

Again, it didn't add up. Why would Cerberus waste scientists that were unsuspectingly working for them? Why brainwash men that were somewhat loyal to them already? Moreover, the way it was done, all in a rather spontaneous and selective manner suggested that something went down at some point that Jacob wasn't aware of. In Garrus' view, it was obvious that something happened inside the foundation. Perhaps the scientists discovered who they were working for and were starting to feed the Alliance with information, or maybe scientists wanted to sell their discoveries to the black market. Considering Dr Cole worked with Xenotechnology, there was an ample market available.

The fact Dr Cole and the other scientists didn't escape to the Alliance or sold their equipment and discoveries to the black market painted a weird picture for Garrus. It was almost as if Cerberus started hunting them for no good reason other than, perhaps, avoid information leaking out. But then, why be so random about it? Why not move in and finish them all before they could suspect anything? It was as if Cerberus hadn't been sure about something at first, as if they were considering their options as they called people back to interrogate them.

"Did you see what Dr Cole was working on?" Garrus needed to know. His gut told him that Dr Cole's research was key in this mystery.

"They worked on alien tech. From what she told me, they dealt with trashed things, like pieces of the Collector ship, ancient tech found across the Omega 4 Relay…" Jacob shrugged. "Never saw it, though. Scientists really don't like us jarheads snooping around their labs".

Garrus hummed, his mind racing miles per hour to come up with a good explanation. Maybe the scientists discovered an artefact or device, one that was still active or held incredible potential, and had decided to hide it from Cerberus, choosing to either sell it or give it to the Alliance. Garrus' eyes widened as he heard Jack's word echoing across his skull. That might be it…

But no, it didn't add up either. If it was an artefact that Cerberus didn't know of, why would Cerberus suddenly suspect something enough to call people back? Or terminate scientists? Why not move in and secure the artefact? Garrus mentally groaned. He was starting to get frustrated with the mystery. So close, yet so far.

"I'll see how Tali is doing with the communicator, maybe I'll give the shuttles a look before I rest a bit" Garrus sighed. "You should go to Dr Cole, Jacob. Your people need you – and they need you in one piece".

"Yeah, you are right… I'll see how we are doing with the guns and all" Jacob grimly nodded. "You tired?"

"A bit" Garrus admitted. "This has been a long, stressful day" he muttered.

"No kidding" Jacob scoffed, limping his way out of the room. "See you around, Garrus…" he paused outside the door, to look at Garrus with a warm smile. "It is good to have you here".

The door hissed closed, leaving Garrus to his own thoughts. He released a heavy sigh, frustrated. In less than eight hours, Cerberus would make their assault, probably killing most and capturing the rest. In the meantime, Garrus was ensnared by a new mystery and schemes that greatly eluded him. One thing was clear though: Garrus missed Shepard already. He made it all look so darned easy…

The Command centre was empty, with all scientists and relatives moved to safer rooms deeper into the facility. It had been decided the last stand would take place at the dining hall, where they were currently barricading. Entire corridors had been sealed, if only to avoid Cerberus getting the jump on them, while a handful of volunteers patrolled the residential wing of the facility. There were cameras that allowed to keep watch all around, thankfully, but even then, there was an oppressive staleness to the air around them. Above all, there was a looming sense of finality approaching, like a shadow casted at the evening which grew with the dying sun up to the final dusk, a promise of the dark night that was about to arrive.

Well, it wasn't exactly empty. The Command Centre actually had a pair of people working on a nearby console: Tali, who was with her upper body stuck inside one of the terminals, her back against the ground, and Ashley, who paced like a trapped tigress across the containment windows and stared down at Cerberus, like a furtive predator to its prey.

"What's the communicator's status?" Garrus inquired as he walked into the Command Centre, straight to the two females.

"It's fully operational and running" Tali said as she squeezed out from below the console. "But we still can't get a link to the Normandy".

"Maybe they are jamming us" Ashley told the quarian. "And even then…" she turned to Garrus "we shouldn't try to contact the Normandy".

"Agreed. I wouldn't put it past Cerberus to wait for us to do that and intercept the communication to get the Normandy's position" Garrus muttered. If only they could at least call the shuttle, just to make sure Steve was alright…

The turian took a moment to walk over to the woman's side. Together, they stared down at Cerberus' encampment, if you could call it that. There were six Cerberus shuttles across different areas, surrounded by guards. Spread across what remained of the landing zones and the way to the blast door were dozens of Cerberus soldiers, some of which were lazily sitting around in small groups without their helmets or merely sleeping here and there.

If there was one thing Garrus was troubled with was the striking diversity of soldiers that Cerberus was showing. While there was no denying that there was a vast majority of humans, for a notable xenophobic group Cerberus seemed to have seen the strength in letting other species in. Imposing Krogan Guardians laughed side by side with human Assault Troopers while rather stiff-looking Turian Centurions kept to themselves, always alert and cautious. Asari Phantoms could be spotted here and there, as well as Salarian Nemesis. Quarian Combat Engineers were quite easy to make out, busy with this generator, that portable barricade or something else entirely. There were new additions in their midst, though, that would certainly give Shepard a stroke: Batarians Assault Troopers. At the moment, Jack was nowhere to be seen.

"You know, I miss the old days when Cerberus was just too racist to include other species in their little cult" Ashley commented with a chuckle.

"It would make things a lot easier" Garrus grumbled.

"Well, did you get anything out of your friend?" Ashley rudely asked.

"It doesn't make sense" the turian replied, still studying the myriad of Cerberus soldiers. "For one reason or another, Cerberus started to pull people away from the foundation these scientists were working in, as well as their security, in small numbers".

"Wait, as in… a security breach?" Ashley inquired. "What… they thought someone was leaking to the Alliance?"

Garrus nodded at her, thankful that she at least seemed to pick that up. "It might be that, though I suspect it goes even further" he morosely said. "I think there is something they were working on that they hid from Cerberus".

"And you think is has to do with…" Ashley glanced at the sea of Cerberus below, pointing a thumb at them "the thing your crazy friend talked about?"

"Yes, what reminds me…" Garrus nodded. "Ashley, you are coming with me to the hangar. The scientists apparently might have stashed a few things in there. Tali…" he paused, wondering what she could do in the meantime "try to see if you can't contact anyone on the planet – at least, anyone that isn't Cerberus".

"Got it" Tali replied.

With that said, Garrus led Ashley down the stairs out of the command centre and to the hangar. They were greeted by the sight of a stoutly standing James Vega, glaring at the blast doors while holding his rifle, as Liara snoozed comfortably with her back on a nearby shuttle. Garrus couldn't deny that the asari was rather cute when she held such peaceful face.

"Scars" James greeted them with a nod from his bare head.

"Vega" the turian replied with a polite nod. Garrus looked around, noting the lack of people. "I thought there would be more people around" he told the marine.

"I sent them away – let them have some time with their families" James shrugged, awkwardly scratching his neck. He glanced at the sleeping form of Liara. "She fell asleep halfway through".

"Let her rest. If anyone deserves sleep, it's Liara" Garrus told them as he walked to one of the Cerberus shuttles across the hangar.

The vehicles were forming two columns, all turned diagonally to the centre. Perfectly arranged one after the other, Garrus wondered just how much could have been stashed within. It wasn't like the scientists had much time to act.

"Everything alright?" James quizzically eyed Garrus as the turian entered the nearest shuttle.

"Garrus says that the scientists might have thrown stuff in the shuttles" Ashley informed her fellow marine. "Don't know why, though".

"Scientists, am I right?" James scoffed, rolling his eyes.

Ashley snorted, sending an admonishing look at the man, who in turn shrugged at her with a grin. With a shake of her head, she walked past Garrus and to the shuttle that followed. The turian was quickly realizing that the scientists had been quick in storing a lot of data-pads and what appeared to be results for their experiments. Being the inquisitive type, Garrus didn't take long to stop searching in favour of reading a handful of the data-pads.

The turian hummed as he went through the text. He felt his gut wrench at what he discovered. From what he managed to make out from over all the techno-babble that went over his head, the scientists here were actually translating schematics to various engines, ship designs and even weapons. The source of those schematics, as well as the theory behind them, was shoddy at best, creepy at worst.

There was a lot of physics and quantum mechanics involved, a lot that was way above Garrus' knowledge. He was, however, capable to figure out it was a lot more concerning the mysterious and still-to-be explored Mass Effect branch of science. Garrus left the data-pads, having read enough. These scientists had still been working even in exile… and whatever they were working with had been referenced as: "The Source". For one reason or another, Garrus felt he didn't want to know what this source was. Worse, his gut was telling him that this was it: the final piece of the puzzle.

"Anything?" Garrus asked Ashley as she rummaged inside the shuttle nearby.

"Only data pads and graphs… geez, who rushes to put all this inside a shuttle?" Was the answer.

"Scientists" James slurred jokingly from afar as he waved outstretched hands in front and parallel to a funny face.

Garrus strolled down the hangar bay to the next vehicle to search, past the shuttle Ashley was working on. Like on the previous shuttle, there was nothing more than data-pads. It was now understandable why Dr Cole didn't mention this before.

"You know" Ashley said on the shuttle's door, leisurely leaning against the frame with a smile "we could throw this data-pads at Cerberus. Who knows? It might leave them thinking".

"I can assume you've only found data pads" Garrus grumbled. At the moment, he had the urge to throw the small devices onto a nearby pile with disdain. However, he decided on returning them to their place like they were originally. He turned to Ashley, who folded her arms.

"Yep" Ashley replied. "Think the others will have anything better?"

"The Spirits might still guide us to what we seek" Garrus swore as he left the shuttle.

"That's a turian saying?" Ashley asked, baffled.

"It's something my mother used to say from time to time" Garrus replied as the two walked to another unsearched shuttle. "Mostly when my father was having a hard case back at C-Sec". Garrus snorted, his mandibles flapping happily at the memories "he got really grumpy when that happened".

The two quickly found themselves exploring yet another trove of data-pads.

"Nothing" Ashley muttered, angrily glaring at the data-pads. "This is ridiculous…" she waved one of the data-pads at Garrus. "What the hell is this 'source' they are always talking about? The Shadow Broker?"

Garrus snorted at that. "I doubt it's an individual. This data-pads show that information is recent and we both know they've been pretty much cut off from the rest of the galaxy".

"Then what? A Prothean Beacon?" Ashley huffed.

Garrus snapped his head at the data-pads. Could it be? A Prothean Beacon? It would make sense. All of their technology, of all the civilizations currently under the threat of the Reapers, was based on the discovery of strategically placed Prothean beacons and artefacts left behind. All species who had reached space had come across such ruins and remnants… except the Vorcha and Krogan. They had been found, actually… and he wasn't sure about the Quarians – the history before their exile was murky at best having always been rather insular.

"You can't possibly be thinking that they have some Prothean beacon hidden somewhere" Ashley deadpanned.

"No, it can't be the case" Garrus reasoned. "Cerberus would be aware of that – I doubt they would lose track of a Prothean Beacon… and I believe the Illusive Man would have pulled scientists he trusts implicitly for it. No, but…" he shook his head, dismissing the thought. "It still wouldn't explain what we know".

"That and what that psycho said, right? Something that's out of place and isn't what it seems" Ashley pointed.

"There is that" Garrus conceded. He left the shuttle, frustrated by the mountains of data-pads stacked inside the vehicles. Truly, these scientists needed to set their priorities straight.

Ashley and Garrus walked towards the next shuttle. They noticed James, still vigilantly guarding the door, while Liara still slept, snuggled to a side. For some reason, the two exchanged amused expressions, light-hearted by the strangeness of an attentive and serious James and a relaxed and peaceful Liara. Oddities of life, no doubt.

It was as they entered the next unexplored shuttle, however, that the mood shifted. It wasn't anything they saw but rather, it was something they felt. It was almost like walking out of a warm house in a biting cold winter. Just like in such scenario, they shuddered. However, there was more. As they stepped inside, the two felt something… dark. Whatever it was, there was a hideous aura that made something tingle in the nape of their necks. The sensation was uncomfortable, but not unbearable.

"Do you feel that?" Ashley said, wide-eyed. She looked at the turian, who was equally alert and anxious.

Garrus nodded. They had never felt such a thing before and, for all they knew, this was the source. Mustering their courage, the two moved further into the shuttle and went to the back, where crates and piles of data-pads were stashed. They ignored the pads, choosing to move through the boxes. The sensation, while repelling, guided them. Soon enough, Garrus and Ashley were staring with apprehension to a large, heavy metal box that oozed with unfiltered darkness.

Turian and human remained unmoving for a moment, trying to regain their bearing at such unnatural sensations. They were drowning in them, and the tingling on the back was growing more intense by the second. As they turned their heads to garner strength to proceed, they both recoiled, feeling sharp pains in their heads.

Garrus and Ashley struggled back, on their feet, as they were assaulted by… something. It was like a dagger had cut into their skulls and the pain… the pain only grew and intensified. Desperate to flee the agony, they left the shuttle, almost blinded by the invisible onslaught to their minds.

Thankfully, as they knelt down away from the shuttle, the feeling subsided somewhat, at least in their minds. Soon enough, they found their entire bodies exploding with a pain unlike anything they had experienced. It was like an army of tiny needles poking at them on every inch of their skin and flesh.

"Hey, are you alright?!" James cried out. Liara was startled out of her sleep, her heart racing, only to see a worried James charging to the shuttle where Ashley and Garrus had come out from.

The asari quickly went to aid a kneeling Garrus, who held his head with both hands. Ashley was in a similar position, growling and groaning. James, rifle raised, went into the shuttle, expecting something. For a brief moment, he stood by the door, waiting for movement. When nothing moved, he cautiously approached the crates – only to find nothing. In the end, James frowned, perplexed, and lowered his gun.

"Garrus, Garrus" Liara repeated as said turian panted.

Garrus hands had moved to the floor, holding him up, as he remained struggling with the aftermath of what they felt. He gritted his teeth, feeling as if his veins were burning. James loomed over him, studying the fallen turian for any evidence on what had happened. In the end, at the lack of clues, he holstered his gun and went over to Ashley.

"Garrus…" Liara gasped, wide-eyed, as he looked up, staring at the wall far beyond.

" _La puta madre_!" James swore in Spanish, falling back on his butt, as Ashley stood up.

Liara looked at Garrus, who blinked at the floor, and then at Ashley, who dizzily spun around, disoriented. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. It couldn't be possible… and yet… both of them had, in all of their hellish red glory, Cerberus cybernetics burning through the surface of their bodies.

It was perhaps the very nature of Turian skin, a thicker and harder material than human skin, which hid most of Garrus' implants. However, on the right side of his head, the one that had been hidden from Liara at first, was filled with tiny implants across the scars Garrus had gained on Omega. Both his eyes, like Shepard, glowed a furious scarlet. Ashley looked a lot like Shepard with many burning cybernetic veins snaking across the tanned skin.

"Argh" groaned Ashley, twisting in pain "what the f -?" Her hands shook near her face, as if she was tempted on scratching her cybernetic implant but at the same time knew it would be of no use.

Liara winced at the smell of burnt flesh. The cybernetics, as with Shepard, were burning through their bodies. Needless to add, it was not a pleasant sight. At least, there was no steam or violent sizzling as it was with Shepard after the whole Geth server debacle. A hand went to the gun at her side while James, back on his feet, took hold of his weapon. They didn't aim their weapons, yet anxiously readied for the worst. Hesitantly, they waited.

"Spirits" Garrus hissed, slamming a fist on the ground. "What in the Titans' names was that?"

By the look of it, the pain was finally receding. The intensity of the glowing synthetic veins also seemed to become dimmer.

"Hell I know" Ashley growled, shaking her head. "It was like I was on bloody fire!"

"W-what's going on?" James interrupted, pale and looking rather sick.

"There's something in the shuttle" Garrus grunted, pushing himself up from the ground. He felt a lot heavier as he rose to stand, as well as sore. Every muscle felt stiff and sent sharp pains across his entire body when he moved.

"Ehm… are you alright?" Liara tentatively asked.

"I feel like I took another grenade to the face" Ashley muttered.

She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath, only to open them at Liara. The asari recoiled at the terrifying and penetrating synthetic eyes.

"Huh?" Ashley, realizing something had happened, stroke her face with a hand. She froze as she felt the ridges left by the glowing implants. "What happened to my face?"

Garrus turned to look at Ashley. When their faces met, they both remained still, eyes stuck on each other.

"You…" Ashley trailed off, hyperventilating.

"Cybernetics… You have them" Garrus grunted, closing his eyes. Oh just great! Just what he need! "Dr Chakwas warned me I had them…"

"What about me?!" Ashley yelled, staring at her covered hands. She probably was imagining what she looked like underneath. "When did Cerberus stick tubes inside of me?!"

"Ashley" Liara softly pleaded. "Calm down".

"If I had to guess" Garrus paused, taking a soothing breath. "They probably gave them to you while you were hospitalized".

"She was hospitalized on the same hospital where Krios was hiding" Liara grimly recalled. "If Krios was with Cerberus all along and knew that one of Shepard's closest friends and allies had been sent to that hospital…"

"You've got to be shitting me" Ashley angrily hissed. Liara sent an apologetic smile at the woman, who at least looked like she wouldn't break down – at least not yet.

He sternly looked at James. With a mere glance, James released his tight hold on his rifle to put it on his back, if only hesitantly. The man did look a bit shocked by the turn of events.

"But why are they glowing now?" James asked, frowning at Liara. "She's been with us some time and they weren't showing".

"Neither did mine" Garrus pointed out. "Perhaps they were inactive… dormant". He looked at the shuttle, glaring at whatever blasted dark spirit was haunting the vehicle.

"There's something in there" Ashley furiously growled, pointing at the shuttle. "I have no idea what it is – but it bloody did this".

James and Liara traded confused expressions. "Something?" They chorused.

"In one of the crates, one that's heavily locked" Garrus informed the two. "Get it out of here. I think we've found what Cerberus wanted".

James looked at Liara for some kind of approval. The asari nodded at the man, who sighed. Gulping, he went inside the shuttle and, with trepidation, searched for the crate in question. Meanwhile, Garrus and Ashley stepped back, glaring at the shuttle's entrance. They hadn't appreciated the torturous pain they got when they got near it the first time – and they were not about to suffer a second doze of that thing's powers.

James was able to pick and heave the blasted thing outside for Liara to inquisitively stare at. It was heavy by the way it slammed on the floor when James put it down. For one reason or another, neither James nor Liara seemed affected. The crate did look like the same one they had been considering to open, from where the darkness was coming out from.

"You sure you picked the right box?" Ashley wondered.

"Yeah, only one with so many locks" James nodded.

"It's the crate" Garrus confirmed.

The two glowing-eyes soldier traded weary looks, only to step closer. They immediately felt it, the same sensation and a tingling in the nape of their necks. It was more subdued, however, and this time, they could both pinpoint the source with worrying accuracy: the crate James had brought out.

"I wonder what the scientists brought here" Liara hummed, interested.

"You… don't feel anything?" Ashley asked as Garrus and she approached cautiously, one step at a time.

"Not really" Liara admitted. "I suspect that whatever is inside… it made your cybernetics go haywire". She looked at crate, intrigued. "But how are we going to look inside?"

"James, go for Tali" Garrus ordered, only to add. "And get us our helmets".

* * *

"Should I be flattered or offended that you called for me to break through locks?" Tali wondered, disgruntled, as she worked on the crate. She took a moment to pause and look at the morose Garrus and Ashley, both standing by a side, leaning against a shuttle and their arms folded in front of them, helmets on. "Nice eyes, by the way" she giggled.

Both the woman and turian grumbled something under their breath. Indeed, their glowing eyes could still be seen over their shaded visors like small burning dots.

"Hey, Sparks, it means we really appreciate your awesome pick locking skills" James stepped in, chuckling.

"Why, thank you" Tali snickered. She waved an omni-tool over the crate and, with a loud CLANK, it was unlocked. "Done".

"That was fast" James commented, surprised. "Huh… you live up to your stereotype, y'know?"

"Thank you?" A confused Tali tilted her head, bewildered.

Liara, looking both excited and apprehensive, knelt next to Tali as the quarian got to her feet. James too leaned over, curious to see what had set off Garrus and Ashley's implants well-hidden implants. Hesitantly, Liara's hands went over the lid and, gently, made contact with the cold material. She remained there for a moment, mustering her courage. After taking a deep breath, she undid the lid.

"Wow" James gasped.

"Keelah" Tali mumbled.

"Jesus freaking Christ!" Exclaimed Ashley.

"It's a…" Liara started saying, hands reaching for the device.

"Don't touch it!" Tali yelled, grabbing Liara by the shoulders and pushing her back. Swiftly, she covered the crate. "This – this can't be right…" she shakenly spluttered, stepping back from the container with wide terrified eyes.

"It's a Prothean device… an active one" Liara protested, massaging her shoulders were Tali had roughly grabbed her. "Do you know how rare they are?"

"Liara, I don't think it was Prothean" Garrus remarked wearily.

"I've seen similar devices, Garrus… admittedly inactive, yes, but the resemblance is there" Liara retorted. "I know what I saw: a Prothean device".

"Tali, lock that crate. James, put it back exactly how you found it" Garrus hurriedly ordered, starting to pace with distress.

"Garrus, please, you are being paranoid here" Liara huffed. She looked like she wanted to reap the crate off James' hands as the muscular man started taking it away. Thankfully, she abstained. "Do you understand what such an artefact means?"

"Liara, what you saw was not Prothean, it was Reaper technology" Tali insisted. "I've seen similar devices, active ones, on the Collectors' base".

"That can't be true. If that was the case then that means…" Liara was saying, only to freeze, gaping at Garrus. "They are Indoctrinated".

Garrus nodded.

"Who…? Eh – what's going on?" James wondered.

"Haven't you been debriefed on the Reapers and the Indoctrination signal?" Ashley asked.

"Ehm… maybe?" James frowned, scratching his head. "I know Reapers can brainwash people but… now their toys can do the same thing?"

"Yes, we discovered as much with Shepard when he went to rescue a scientist, Dr Kenson" Garrus retold. "Thing was, Dr Kenson and some of her research team were Indoctrinated. When Shepard arrived, the Indoctrinated personnel took over, killing all those who weren't indoctrinated – thankfully, the sane people were able to hold off long enough. Shepard managed to fight his way out and stop Dr Kenson… what led to the Alpha Relay incident".

James stared at the shuttle with newfound fear. "You mean… being close to that thing can brainwash you?" He shuddered, stepping away from where the crate was.

"It's not instantaneous, James" Tali told the marine. "It has been reported weeks of direct exposure are needed, and most of the time it depends on the source. Even inside a Reaper takes time for one to be indoctrinated".

"That's… good" James sighed with relief.

"Wait, do you think that – that the Reaper device is… the Source?" Ashley asked Garrus.

The turian grimly nodded. "Yes… the scientists have been studying and directly interacting with that Reaper device… for months" he released a weary sigh. "Spirits, what are we supposed to do?"

"We can't rescue them" Ashley told Garrus. "We need to leave them".

"What? You can't say that" Liara decried. "They are innocents, and even then the majority of the people here haven't been Indoctrinated. They just couldn't have".

"We can't take the chance" Ashley shook her head. "One Indoctrinated agent could cause all sorts of trouble for the Alliance".

"We should take them with us" Tali hummed "if only to study them".

"Wait – we ARE talking about the scientists here, aren't we?" James glanced at his fellow companions.

Garrus inwardly groaned. Just what they needed: Indoctrinated people while surrounded by Cerberus soldiers. It was just another day for the Normandy's crew…

"We need to figure the means to escape this" Garrus told them. "But… I don't know what to do with the scientists."

It all started to click inside his mind. The grand mystery had finally been unravelled. Cerberus, at one point, realized somehow that scientists were becoming Indoctrinated. Perhaps they closely paid attention to anything they said or how they acted. They probably only discovered one scientist and quickly worried that the foundation that worked as a front for Cerberus had been compromised.

In order to assess the situation, the logical step was to get a feel on what happened. Cerberus probably called back different security officers and scientists to interrogate them. Whatever they found must have been insufficient and had carried on with their pursuit for answers. Perhaps they had a hard time pinning down who or how they had been Indoctrinated, thus requiring more interrogations. If it reached Jacob, then Cerberus had probably considered the worst case scenario: the Chief of Security was compromised and thus the entire Foundation needed to be dealt with.

The Scientists misinterpreted everything – or actually knew that Cerberus was aware of their hidden artefact - and with Jacob telling them all (probably) about Cerberus they had fled. Garrus had to wonder if Jacob hadn't been as compromised as the Illusive Man had feared.

"We can't risk it" Ashley insisted.

"We don't leave innocents behind. Think about what Cerberus will do to them" Liara fervently rebutted. To Garrus, she added "Shepard would never abandon people in need".

"Shepard would probably rescue the scientists if only to have the Alliance study their brains" Tali huffed. "You don't understand Shepard, Liara".

"And what is that supposed to mean?" The asari squinted at the quarian.

"I think it's kind of dumb to talk about what to do with the scientists" James timidly interceded. "I mean, we need to figure out if we can escape at all".

"James is right" Garrus nodded. "Let's move to the command centre and leave this place…" he morosely looked around. "I rather not give away that we discovered their secret to the Indoctrinated people here".

* * *

Four hours… there were four hours left. Garrus sighed exasperatedly as his team waited. Escape was apparently impossible. Even if they got out of the base by some miraculous plan, they would still need to somehow coordinate with the Normandy for extraction. For all they knew, though, Steve was dead, rendering their chances of avoiding the fighters patrolling the perimeter close to null.

There was little to no way of actually preparing for an all-out assault, not when there were five entry points – dozens more if Garrus didn't include the many windows. The scientists had already thrown in everything they could spare to block the way from the roof, the lower levels, maintenance exit and entrances and so forth. Sadly, they weren't going to hold against biotics, Krogan and the size of Cerberus force. Without considering the numbers of Cerberus troopers involved, Garrus knew that no matter how entrenched they got, Cerberus would find the means to slip through.

He sat opposite the console, the very same he spoke Jack through. Next to him, Tali entertained herself with some schematics she had dug up from the data-pads on the shuttles while Ashley, sat next to her, staring off into the distance. Both of them sat on the floor, their backs against the consoles. James was loudly snoring on a seat, his feet on the consoles and his hands resting on his back. Garrus almost felt a twinge of jealousy at how easy sleep came to the marine. Liara too was dozing on, this time whilst seated on a chair near James. Rather than peaceful, Liara looked ridiculously funny, with her mouth gaping as a hand held her snoozing head up. Someone had clearly been overworking herself lately if she slept that much.

Garrus mentally groaned. There was something just torturous about having to wait for the end to come. They would go guns blazing, of course, but they all knew how futile fighting back was. All they could do was wait, and that was killing the turian. He thought about his father, his sister… he pondered what Shepard would do when he woke up – if he woke up… Would Shepard hand himself over to Cerberus if Garrus and the others were captured? The turian hoped not.

"So…" Ashley suddenly broke the silence, turning to Tali. "You and Shepard, huh?"

Tali glanced at Ashley, probably surprised they were engaging in small talk. Garrus, on the other hand, was a bit disbelieving just how easily they were all taking their fast approaching doom. Couldn't they be as fatalistic as him?

"Yes" Tali nodded, lowering what she was working on.

"That's… nice, I guess" Ashley said, unsure.

"You don't have any problems with that?" Tali tentatively asked.

"Ehm… it's a bit weird, you know?" Ashley admitted. "I am not xenophobic or anything but – eh… I really didn't see it happening."

"Me neither" Tali sighed, hugging her feet. "I still wonder at times… what does he see in me? Why did he choose me?"

"Well, if you ask me, it's kind of romantic" Ashley chuckled. "He fell for you without knowing how you looked like under your helmet, based entirely on your personality and actions. Although…" she studied Tali for a moment. "Your suit doesn't leave a lot of room for imagination".

Garrus felt like groaning in pain. What had he done to be tortured by such idle conversation? The last thing he wanted before he fought for his life against Cerberus was to hear about other people's love lives.

"Do you… like him?" Tali asked, nervously.

"Girl, who doesn't?" Ashley joked, nudging the quarian.

"You know what I mean" Tali softly said.

"Yes, I do" sighed Ashley, shaking her head. "And… yeah, I do fancy him".

 _Spirits, just be done with it and end my suffering_ , Garrus mentally muttered.

"You are a lucky quarian, you know?" Ashley told Tali.

Tali guiltily sighed at that, averting Ashley's gaze. "I know" she ruefully whispered.

Garrus did his best not to look at Tali. As much as she was remorseful for not telling Shepard about the quarians latest business deals, Garrus thought she deserved it. Was it wrong of him? Of course not. Shepard of all people didn't deserve to be lied to or used like a tool, especially with the Reaper threat burdening his every waking hour. The worst part was knowing that there wouldn't be a chance for Tali to actually tell Shepard anything, Garrus couldn't forgive Tali for that.

The turian's musings were interrupted, all of a sudden, by the beeping coming from his hand. He blinked at it a couple of times. Was he receiving a transmission? He frowned, activating his omni-tool and opening a link. Apparently, it was an unknown caller. Tali and Ashley looked at the turian, equally surprised.

"Vakarian here" Garrus greeted.

"Garrus? Thank God"

Garrus comically stared at his hand, almost like a miracle had happened. It might as well have. "Traynor?" He asked, baffled.

"Yes! I've been trying to break through the jamming for hours now… been freezing my butt here" muttered the communications' specialist.

"You are on Gellix?" Garrus queried.

"Y-yes, in order t-to break the jamming I h-had to install an amplifying d-dish whi-" Samantha, her teeth cluttering as she shivered with cold, started explaining.

"You can tell me about it after we get here. What's the status of the Normandy? What about Steve?" Garrus asked, his heart beating with hope.

"Steve is here, with me. And the Normandy is fine – h-hidden nearby. Brrrr – it's too cold out here!" Samantha answered as she endure the planet's climate.

Garrus was floored with relief at that.

"W-what is your situation?" Samantha asked. "F-from what I can see from here, you are heavily surrounded by Cerberus. Why aren't they charging in?"

"They gave us twelve hours to surrender" Garrus replied.

"That sounds like a lot of time" Samantha remarked.

"There was a reason behind it, sadly" Garrus grunted. "Now we need to plan an escape… what can you tell us of the enemy positions?"

"Ehm… they are everywhere? I – I mean, the entire exterior has Cerberus patrols. The roof is covered with them… and they have like… one, two – eh – three turrets up there. There are a few teams down below. They are many" the communications specialist reported. "I don't see you getting out of that any time soon... have you found the people we were supposed to rescue?"

"Yes… we have… but we are currently facing a complication about them" Garrus retorted.

"So… what's the plan?" Samantha wondered. "Cortez could always cause a distraction".

"No, it would be too risky and I don't see that working" Garrus shook his head. He hummed, standing up and walking to the window.

All he could see were the vast white mountains, all towering around them. He pondered on the situation at hand. At last, there was a ray of hope, a way out. True, he had yet to come up with a real plan… what was needed was to somehow clear the base of Cerberus soldiers. That, through force, would be impossible. One, they were outnumbered and, two, they were outgunned. If that wasn't enough, they had to also cover for civilians, complicating matters further.

As he stared at the massive rock formations, a plan popped into his head. It was crazy. It was bold. It would be suicidal. Exactly the sort of plan Shepard would be proud of, no doubt, and the kind that they needed.

"Traynor, I've got a plan. It's risky, and it will require great timing, but it is our best hope of escaping" Garrus said. It was time to assume command of the situation.

* * *

"Dr Cole?" Garrus called as he walked into the large dining hall, where a lot of armed scientists and their relatives wearily braced for what was yet to come.

Brynn stood over an irritable Jacob, who looked a lot better than before. He was still grumpy, though, annoyed perhaps by the injury he had sustained. When Garrus approached her, he noticed that she looked at him with a strange look on her face, an expression that eluded the turian.

"Vakarian" Dr Cole replied with a firm tone. "I was meaning to talk to you" she ominously stated.

Garrus immediately could tell something was off. He played along, though, weary of the way the scientists looked at him. His instincts screamed at him to flee, but he held his ground.

"I think I have a way out of this place but I need to discuss… something. With you too, Jacob" Garrus told the woman, nodding at Jacob.

"Very well, what is it?" Brynn wondered.

"Follow me" Garrus turned around and gestured for the woman to follow.

Jacob made a move to stand up, only for Brynn to hold him down, much to his surprise. When Garrus realized the two weren't following, he stopped his march. The turian could feel his sense of self-preservation screaming at him to run away. Jacob frowned at Dr Cole, confused by her reluctance to leave. Garrus could tell, though, that he had spotted something going on here.

"If there is anything you wish to discuss with me, you can discuss it here" Dr Cole said with confidence.

"Do you really want me to, though?" Garrus asked, unimpressed.

"What's going on here?" Jacob inquired.

"Yes, what's going on, Vakarian?" Dr Cole dropped all pretences and glared at the turian.

Garrus noticed how the armed people, who were surprisingly numerous, slowly moved around. They tried to be inconspicuous, much to their credit. However, it's hard when you are brandishing weapons like assault rifles.

"Brynn…" Jacob trailed off, confused. He turned to Garrus, only to frown with more bewilderment. "Are your eyes… glowing?"

Garrus quickly realized it had been a bad idea to go and talk to Brynn himself. He should have sent Liara, or James… but Garrus hadn't really considered such scenario, not with the upcoming plan. That and they were on a hurry. He didn't trust Cerberus to try something before the set time limit, and the earlier they got away, the better.

"There are a lot of internal cameras, Vakarian" Dr Cole stiffly remarked, her face hardening as she spoke. There was a dangerous edge on her voice, one that Garrus hadn't heard from the seemingly vulnerable scientist.

Oh Spirits, Garrus mentally swore, wide-eyed. They were aware. They knew that they had discovered the Reaper device AND that Ashley and he both had Cerberus implants. This was not looking good. Had this been the Illusive Man's plan all along? For Garrus to confront the scientists and play the part of Cerberus goon that killed innocents? A dark part in Garrus' mind was somewhat in awe at the Illusive Man's overarching ploy.

"Garrus…" Jacob was now demandingly staring at Garrus.

The turian looked around, noticing how the armed civilians were all wearily glaring at him. The people around him was even starting to be cleared, husbands and wives moving away. Garrus swore. Why hadn't he seen this coming? Oh, he knew why. He was worrying about escaping before doing anything stupid.

"Jacob, did you know about the Reap- the Source?" Garrus inquired, hoping to divert the conversation he was damned sure would happen.

"The what?" Jacob frowned. He glanced at Dr Cole, who in turn scowled – almost like she had swallowed something sour.

"Have you wondered what the scientists have been working on all this time?" The turian asked, pressing forward. He needed Jacob on his side if only to avoid a slaughter.

"Ehm… not really" Jacob was beyond confused by that point. "Be straight with me, Garrus. What's going on?" He didn't sound desperate. He sounded ready to start punching answers out of people.

"I'll tell you, Jacob" Brynn softly told the man, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Your friend here is a Cerberus agent. He was probably sent here to find the Source… our greatest secret". With an apologetic face, filled with sincere remorse, she carried on. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you, Jacob".

Garrus squinted at Dr Cole. That clever woman had good acting skills.

"Source?" Jacob asked, paling.

"A Reaper device" Garrus declared. "And I am not with Cerberus, Dr Cole" he corrected. He knew it was futile. Deep down, the turian was aware that the visible evidence was against his case.

"It's Prothean, actually" Brynn calmly countered.

"Wait, what's this device?" Jacob was starting to look like a caged animal. Garrus could sympathize. All of a sudden, the man's entire worldview, the life he had enjoyed for a few months, was crashing down.

"It's like a Beacon, only smaller, and with more concise information. From our analysis, we hypothesise that the Protheans were able to store loads of data in them for transport" Brynn patiently explained. "That's what Cerberus has been after all along: the Source. They probably weren't even sure we had it, so they sent them, these traitors, to verify its existence".

"Don't be ridiculous" Garrus muttered. "If Cerberus had wanted to determine its existence, they would have stormed in, captured a few of you and had you brainwashed like the rest of their lot".

"That's why we've kept it a secret" Brynn smugly boasted. "Only a select few of us know, and we'd rather die than reveal it".

Garrus was absolutely certain she meant what she said.

"Still, it was stored inside a shuttle for anyone to find, Dr Cole. Had Cerberus stormed in, they would found it anyway" Garrus rebutted.

"But they didn't know that. For all they knew, it was hidden elsewhere" Brynn rebutted. "That's why they had you infiltrate us. It makes sense now, doesn't it?" She was looking at a shocked Jacob. "Twelve hours to surrender? That's a lot of time when they could have easily take over already. They didn't shoot at them to kill? They let them enter here? Just look at them. Why would the Alliance send a turian and a quarian? Don't you think it's weird that of the entire galaxy, two people that you knew about, that you believed were undeniably to Shepard, would suddenly show up just when we need them the most? Too many coincidences if you ask me."

"I – I… no, Tali and Garrus would never join Cerberus!" Jacob protested, if only weakly and with horror crawling across his face. He shook his head, as if could help against the invasive arguments.

"And neither would that other acquaintance of yours, right? Jack?" Brynn said.

Garrus felt like he had been played for a fool, by none other than the Illusive Man. The bastard had literally set them up, much to his sudden realization, for an all-out confrontation against the Indoctrinated scientists. The Illusive Man didn't want just to capture Garrus and the others… he wanted them to deal with the Indoctrinated themselves, to have them all cornered to one bloody confrontation that would forever mark Garrus and the others as accomplices of Cerberus. In the eyes of the Alliance, Garrus would have gunned down a group of innocents. The turian was certain Cerberus would love to use that as propaganda to alienate him against his allies. And by the looks of it, this confrontation would include Jacob too…

Brynn suddenly drew a gun at Garrus. Instinctively, Garrus raised his own handgun. However, even as he readied himself for a bloodbath, Garrus knew that he was outnumbered and surrounded. Oh, the irony bittersweet. Here he was, surrounded by Indoctrinated people and their ignorant friends while at the same time surrounded by Cerberus. He could only ponder just who was Indoctrinated and who was in without understanding what was actually going on.

"Don't!" Brynn shouted, baring her teeth at Garrus.

The turian looked around. He could count over twenty people, all with outdated rifles and handguns, itching to shoot at him. He could see it: the lack of hesitation, the desperation… the fear. They were all seeing an enemy on Garrus… a monster that had come to reap them of their lives and families.

"Brynn!" Jacob briskly stood up in protest.

"Jacob, stand down, we aren't going to kill him" Brynn said in a reassuring voice. "He's Cerberus, remember? He and his friends are our ticket out of here".

Neither Jacob nor Garrus knew exactly what she meant, but Garrus sure knew he was not going to like it.

In the end, Brynn's plan so happened to include tying Garrus, Tali, James, Liara and Ashley to chairs at the command centre. When Garrus had been brought in, hands tied on his back, and a handgun against the back of his exposed head, the rest had quickly surrendered as well. Pulling his helmet out of him surely managed to remove any doubts of any hesitant accomplice of Brynn. Just great, when he was on the verge of escape, this happened!

There were close to thirty people in the room, all guarding their five prisoners. They had all sorts of weapons with them, and while they didn't look like they could hold their ground for long, there was an admirable sense of resolve in them. They did have a certain disdain for Garrus and Ashley, perhaps for good reason. Their cybernetics weren't pretty, after all, and they were damning evidence of any alleged collusion with Cerberus. It was hard to defend themselves against accusations of being part of Cerberus… something Garrus realized was something Shepard was routinely facing with his own implants.

"What are you planning, Brynn?" Jacob asked, sending an apologetic look at Tali.

"Contact Cerberus" Dr Cole ignored the man, addressing one of his colleagues at the console.

The link was quickly established. This time, though, a screen popped up in front of a console and the windows, facing the hostages and desperate scientists. It showed a rather sleepy Jack rubbing her glowing red eyes. Her expression, however, quickly shifted to shock.

"What the fuck?" Cried out Jack. "Bird-Face, what the hell happened?"

"We might have found that something you mentioned" Garrus morosely said.

From the corner of his eyes he noticed that none of his guards was paying much attention to him. Carefully, he managed to press one hidden button on his gloves, exposing his sharp talon. While it had been uncomfortable with the way his hands were tied, Garrus could help feeling somewhat relieved that not all was lost. Thankfully, they were tied up by some tough plastic material.

Jack's initial shock was swiftly replaced by amusement. Much to Garrus' chagrin, she started laughing.

"You were captured by a handful of Indoctrinated civvies?" She chortled. "Damn, Bird-Face, you surely lost your touch. I see you got a new look – more badass". She smirked at him. She turned to Ashley, grinning. "Would you look at that, Scout Girl too?"

Garrus noticed Ashley's eyebrows twitching at the nickname.

"Listen up, Cerberus" Brynn peremptorily growled at Jack. "You either allow us to leave, or…" She pointed her handgun at Garrus' face.

"You really think they are Cerberus?" Jack mused. She leaned back, smirking. "Go on then, shoot them. You are making my job easier".

Brynn didn't even hesitate. Her gun jumped from Garrus' face to the turian's right leg and, in an instant, was firing at Garrus' thigh… repeatedly. The turian screamed in pain as four gaping holes were left on his body. At least his armour had been able to block the other eight shots…

Jack grimaced at them, eyeing Garrus with a pitying look. The turian was rather surprised Jack showed any signs that she actually cared. Perhaps Shepard had gotten to the psycho in ways he hadn't known.

"Alright, alright" Jack muttered. "We'll clear the way and -"

"You are going to board your cruisers, you and your fighters, and then jump out of this system" Brynn venomously spat.

"And how do we know you aren't just going to kill my friends there?" Jack hummed.

Garrus mentally swore at Jack's allusion to them being colleagues. He sure didn't know how to feel about being called her friend.

"Fine, just – make your battle-cruisers and fighters leave the system" Brynn decided.

"Alright, alright, hold your horses" Jack grumbled.

The channel was cut and the screen went dark. The people all wearily traded looks, unsure what to do. They could only wait. By then, though, Garrus was ready to act – although that injury on his leg would surely be a hindrance. Still, maybe this recent turn of events could be used in their favour.

"See, I told you they were with Cerberus all along" Brynn told Jacob with an elated smile.

"We are not with Cerberus, you idiot" Garrus muttered. "And you are Indoctrinated. You and all who have been using that Reaper device – you are going to make things worse for everyone!"

"Brynn, the fighters are all returning to their cruisers" Someone at the consoles exclaimed, joyful.

"It seems like your friend really cares for his so-called enemies, huh?" Brynn tauntingly smirked at Garrus.

"How could you do this, Garrus? How could you join them?" Jacob shook his head.

"We didn't" Garrus insisted. "Jacob, Brynn and others are Indoctrinated. If they escape with the Reaper device… they will wreak havoc across the galaxy! That thing could Indoctrinate -" SLAM.

Jacob's eyes widened as Brynn smacked the turian with the butt of her handgun. A strange emotion crossed Jacob's face, one that Garrus missed as he struggled with a broken mandible.

"It's a Prothean device, the last hope for humanity" Brynn stated, murderously glaring at Garrus. "But you wouldn't understand, would you Cerberus dog?"

"Wow, Brynn what's gotten into you?" Jacob wondered, taking hold of the woman's shoulder.

Garrus dizzily looked at his worried comrades, all who stared at him with concern. As everyone's attention was drawn by Jacob and Brynn, he took the opportunity. He had no idea if this would work, but it was the last hope they had. They had to know what to do next. He looked particularly at Tali and Ashley, the two most likely to figure it out. Firm and ignoring the pain on his mandibles, he started flapping his mandibles in particular pattern. Flapping, twitching and waving, Garrus went through the motions, making sure that no one saw him doing so. It was their last hope that at least one of them would know about turian military silent speech.

"I- I'm sorry Jacob it's just that…" Brynn panted, face filled with emotions. "There's so much going on it's – it's stressing…"

"Hey" Jacob said with sympathy, embracing the woman. "It's going to be alright".

"Th-there is something I haven't told you, Jacob" Brynn softly whispered.

The two broke the embrace, staring into each other's eyes. Jacob blankly looked at her, while Brynn radiated with hesitance.

"I'm pregnant"

Garrus finished the silent message. By then, his broken mandible was hurting like hell itself. Much to his relief, Ashley and Tali's eyes widened with understanding. Surprisingly enough, so did James' eyes. Liara, though, seemed rather lost at what was going on. Three heads nodded, fierce determination returning to their demeanours. They would get out of this. Liara, on the other hand, blinked at Garrus, then at Ashley, only to frown, baffled.

Jacob was, admittedly, floored by the news. His jaw went slack and he stepped back, hands still clasped to each side of Brynn. After a long series of seconds, he grinned, a laugh escaping his lips.

"Th-that's amazing!" He exclaimed, joyous.

Garrus silently swore, something new clicking in his mind. So Brynn had gotten close to Jacob to manipulate him? That was a good guess, and the likeliest possibility. Hadn't they started dating a short time before Cerberus realized something was up? It would make sense. One of the Indoctrinated scientists sleeping around with the Chief of Security in order to draw him to their cause… it was rather disturbing to know just how much of an impact the Indoctrination could have on different groups. That was why Garrus was going to make sure these Indoctrinated people didn't make it out – as much as he hated doing Cerberus' dirty job for them.

"Brynn, all fighters are back on the cruisers" someone declared.

"We are going to make it out of here" Jacob told Brynn.

"Yeah – and this time we'll go straight to the Alliance" Brynn said with a kind smile. "Alliance Intelligence will want to see the Source…"

Garrus felt himself starting to panic at the thought. If the Reaper device made it to the Alliance Command or Intelligence… then the Alliance would be doomed. No, he had to act.

"The Cruisers have disappeared from our scanners… they've jumped away!" Someone else cried out.

"Excellent!" Brynn grinned, triumphant. "Everyone, board your -"

"Now!" Garrus yelled, jumping out of his seat, his turian claws fully exposed.

Before anyone could react, Garrus charged at the nearest shocked man to his right. A swift stab with his claws on the man's jugular stopped the person from shooting, allowing Garrus the time to move behind the poor guy. Even wounded, the turian moved swiftly and with precision. The man gaggled and twitched, his assault rifle shaking in his dying hands. With practiced efficiency, as Garrus moved behind the dying man, the turian grabbed the assault rifle and fired.

By then, everything had turned into chaos. Scientists, shocked and fearful, raised their guns at Garrus and started shooting. It was too late, though, as the turian used the dead man in front of him as cover, while firing back. Tali joined the fray by activating her drone even when her hands were still tied down. If that hadn't scared and confused the unprepared guards further, Ashley and James broke free from their restraints through brute strength alone and, taking the opportunity of their new enemies distracted frenzy, lunged at the nearest poor bastard with swiftness and speed of dangerous predators.

Liara, not to be outdone by her peers, managed to tear from her own restraints with her biotics and, with one push, take down many petrified armed guards. The asari was particularly ruthless to a woman who was about to shoot on the helpless Tali, crashing her against the ceiling with one excessively strong and sudden biotic Lift.

It was, sadly, mayhem. Jacob pulled Brynn behind her as the fight began, but it was impossible to tell what was going on. Dr Cole actually surprised Jacob by aiming her gun at Liara. She started shooting at the asari, hoping to get a hit. Liara, though, had swiftly reacted with a barrier, protecting herself and Tali. There were too many people in there, and Garrus and his team were moving swiftly between terrified and confused people. The numerical advantage was pointless when trapped in such a way so close to each other.

"Stop!" Brynn screamed at the top of her lungs.

Garrus, and the others, froze at what the saw. Everyone, including the surviving scientists and their relatives remained rigid, slack jawed at the most recent turn of event. Jacob, with wide-eyes and shocked to the core, was being held hostage by Brynn. An arm was firmly around his neck while the other had the handgun, on the poor man's head. Tali and the others all stopped, eyes stuck on the weird scene. They weren't the only ones. Between the fight, the suddenness and surprise, and the most bizarre resolution, everyone else who had been left standing stared with gaping mouths at Brynn. The turian couldn't believe this was happening… and by the looks of it, neither could anyone else.

"Brynn what are you doing?" Jacob asked.

"S-saving us!" Brynn muttered. "On your bloody knees!" He ordered Garrus and his team.

"Don't do this" Jacob told the woman he had given his heart to. The one who moments ago had confessed to having their child.

"I will save us all! The Source – it must reach the Alliance!" Brynn growled.

A dawning look of realization marred Jacob's face. The dark-skinned man looked at Garrus, a look that asked for forgiveness and screamed of horrifying conclusions. He could now realize that Brynn was, indeed, Indoctrinated.

"We must stop the Reapers!" Brynn shouted. "The Source is the only way!"

Garrus and Ashley exchanged worried looks. What were they supposed to do now? It was obvious Brynn would take whatever hostages were needed in order to escape her situation. She had one purposed indoctrinated into her mind: to get more people indoctrinated.

As if called by chaos and mayhem themselves, the windows shattered – and in came Cerberus Assault Troopers. Brynn, surprised, turned to look at the invaders. It was all Jacob needed. He strongly nudged her on the stomach and slapped the gun out of her. In the meantime, Garrus, his team and the remaining civilians tried to fight off the newcomers.

"Traynor, Now! Do it now!" Garrus yelled at his activated omni-tool as the team rushed to the staircase, taking position there.

It was too late, though. The Cerberus troopers were swift and precise, and they were rushing in overwhelming numbers. It was thanks to a massive biotic push from Liara that everyone got a moment of respite. By then, Garrus and the rest were ready to hurry down to the hangar. Brynn was on the ground, looking at Jacob, who stared at her with a betrayed look. All across the ground, a dozen dead people bled out.

"Jacob!" Garrus shouted.

The dark-skinned man looked at the turian, only to turn back at Brynn. She had a very strange face, a cross between disbelief and betrayal as she laid there, a hand on her stomach. Jacob scrunched his face with anger, and sorrow, tears of emotions coming down his cheeks, only to leave her behind, limping towards Garrus.

There was a massive shockwave as all the windows shattered. Jacob fell flat on his face, near the stairs. Garrus and James hurried over to help him up, only to freeze at the person who was levitating across the windows. Even with her helmet on, Garrus knew right away who it was. Jack murderously glared at them, surrounded by a maelstrom of purple and blue power.

"Hold it right there!" Jack yelled.

Behind Jack, though, Garrus spotted something else. With wide eyes, he realized he was running out of time.

"Behind you" he told the biotic woman. As Jack turned around to look at whatever was coming across the horizon, Garrus signalled the rest of his team to hurry down to the hangar. James carried a hissing Jacob with them, fleeing out of the command centre and abandoning the poor horrified remaining scientists and their relatives.

Jack, next to a handful of recently arrived Assault Troopers, stared with utter disbelief as the Normandy itself raced across the distance, straight at them. Much more shocking was when they saw the main gun shoot at the base. They all covered their eyes as the bright blue light of immensely powerful Thannix guns fired upon them… and yet, their end never came.

The Normandy swept past them, roaring loudly. The base shook, and Jack could tell the Normandy had hit something… but what? It wasn't the base and it wasn't them.

"Ma'am!" Jack heard through her coms. "They've shot the mountains. There's an avalanche on your way!"

"Shit" Jack swore. Gritting her teeth, she turned to the staircase, only to curse at the disappearance of her target. "Everyone, get the hell out of here!" She yelled back, a finger on her helmet.

The biotic woman jumped off the window followed by her men. Already, every Cerberus operative was hurrying into the hovering shuttles. Jack, having run across the platform to examine the incoming avalanche, was gripped with fear at what she saw. While standing on a landing pad, she was able to make out a massive tsunami of snow headed their way. It promised to bury them all under freezing whiteness. The entire base trembled under the power of the incoming snow.

As Jack got into the shuttle, thankful to be on less shaking ground, she noticed that the blast doors were opening.

"Wait! Hold" Jack ordered the pilot of her shuttle. Every single Cerberus operative looked at her, probably like she was crazy, under their helmets.

"We need to leave!" One of the Turian Centurions said.

Jack looked at the avalanche and, sadly, couldn't agree more. She had to look on as the base grew smaller, the door of the shuttle still open for them to witness the natural monstrosity that promised to crash onto the base. Through the blast doors, Garrus and the others sprinted out, desperately aware how close the avalanche was.

Out of nowhere, Jack saw a blue shuttle come out from below and, still floating, stop right further away from the landing pad. A side door opened, exposing the insides to the turian and his team. Unable to believe what she was seeing, she shook her head.

"Garrus, you son of a bitch" She swore, furious.

Albeit her anger, she found herself grinning. The turian and his team jumped onto the shuttle and, just in the nick of time, they got a way, the snow grazing the blue vehicle. Jack snorted, shaking her head. She wasn't the only one.

"What lucky bastards" one of Jack's men muttered.

"You've got that right" Jack huffed, amused. With a scowl, she added "the Boss is going to kill me".

* * *

 **Next Chapter: Amidst a Thousand Dreams  
**

 **Please, review and follow.**


	21. Chapter IX: Amidst a Thousand Dreams

**Chapter IX: Amidst a Thousand Dreams**

"What you did was reckless" Dr Chakwas sighed, exasperated. She shook her head, like a disappointed mother to her children.

In front of her, under her imposing shadow and admonishing gaze, was a disgruntled Garrus. Said turian sat on one of the med-bay's beds, his eyes trying hard to avoid the doctor's on his left. Dr Michele worked on his thigh in front of him, and while she did so in silence, Garrus could tell that the female human was thoroughly amused by the reprimands being delivered.

"We did what we had to" Garrus grumbled back, defiant.

Dr Chakwas, who carried a tray with many weird gadgets, groaned with grated annoyance. Rolling her eyes, she turned towards an anxious looking Ashley Williams. Without her armour, and clad on her Alliance Uniform, the signs of the cybernetic implants were everywhere. They conjured a scary look from the poor marine. Her scarlet eyes shone with distress at her predicament. She gulped as Chakwas laid down the tray at the end of Ashley's bed and prepared the marine's treatment.

"Asking Joker to bring down a mountain over your position was foolish, Garrus" Chakwas insisted as she grabbed a cylinder from the tray, only to put it aside.

It looked like an aerosol can and it did draw a bout of curiosity from Ashley. Said interest faded away as saw Chakwas, grinning sadistically, holding a thick syringe. Ashley's synthetic eyes widened, promising to jump out of their sockets.

"All we needed was an avalanche to force Cerberus to retreat" Garrus retorted. "It worked" he added with a triumphant huff.

"Oh, you soldiers never learn" muttered the doctor. Much to Ashley's relief, the syringe wasn't meant for shots (thank God) but rather to apply some kind of goo on her scars.

Garrus decided not to throw more fuel onto the fire and didn't bother saying anything more. Instead, he looked over the med-bay. On the operation bed opposite his was Shepard. He looked worse than Garrus remembered, with bags forming under his eyes and a weary exhaustion in his incessant twitching and gritting of his teeth. The turian morosely pried his gaze from the Commander and looked at the other man on an operation table: Jacob Traylor.

At the moment, Jacob was unconscious, and without his shirt. According to Chakwas, he had badly healed tissue and loads of internal injuries that needed quick treatment. Apparently, Cerberus' guns had gone through a few upgrades of their own. However, Garrus was more worried about Jacob's state of mind. He had been forced to abandon his mate and mother of his unborn child… that was bound to leave scars of their own – if such wounds ever healed.

"Just look at you, Ashley" Chakwas sighed, disappointed. She gently started applying the gel-like transparent substance on the marine's scars. The patient in question didn't seem bothered, if anything, she was thoroughly entertained by what was going on. "What exactly did you do to generate such reaction from your cybernetics? Shepard's implants took a lot more for them to start burning through the skin. My goodness, not even after nearly getting stomped by a Reaper did his cybernetics show this badly".

"It was a Reaper artefact" Garrus retold. "I don't understand how but…" he paused, recalling the incident in question "it seemed to have activated our cybernetic implants".

"More like your cybernetic implants went haywire in the presence of an intense Indoctrination signal" hummed the doctor, momentarily pulling back if only to study her progress on Ashley's face. "A most intriguing reaction…"

"Maybe it's a fail-safe" Ashley suggested. "For Cerberus troopers" she added.

"It could be, that or an unexpected side-effect of the cybernetics the Illusive Man didn't foresee. Given the scope of the technology involved, I'm inclined on the latter" Chakwas replied, leaning back on the female marine to apply more of the gel.

"What exactly is that thing, Doc?" Ashley wondered, intrigued.

"A specialized gel I've developed for Shepard's cybernetics… think of it as a mixture of medi-gel and implant coolants" the doctor explained. With a grimace, she added "I've been trying to develop some means to reduce his cybernetic overheating… but nothing seems to work".

"He looks… awful" Ashley grimly told Chakwas with her attention on Shepard, face marred with sorrow.

"Isn't there any treatment that could assist him?" Garrus wondered.

"There is" Dr Michele said, standing back from the turian.

Garrus studied his thigh, satisfied that it was healed, brandishing proud new scars over his thick exposed skin. He knew, though, that he would be forced to sit out missions for a pair of days to finish the healing process.

"We could… upgrade his cybernetics" Dr Michele carried on saying, hesitant. "The Geth – Legion – has recently given us a wide range of potential upgrades that could help Shepard… even save his life".

"What's the catch?" Ashley cynically queried.

"It could go either way" Chakwas sighed, shaking her head. "While Legion strongly believes his upgrades could assist with Shepard's recovery, we aren't sure how said modifications will truly impact the Commander. It is bad enough we were unaware of such reaction to the Geth interface without adding alterations".

Garrus looked at his suffering friend, who appeared to be caught in an endless nightmare. "I don't think there is much of a choice left" he told Dr Michele.

Dr Chakwas turned to the Commander, fear flashing across her eyes. Garrus didn't need to be a mind reader to know what was going through her head: she knew that Shepard's body was taking a beating, and unless she did something, the damage would be irreparable. And that was without considering the mental complications they had yet to figure out.

"If there is a way to cure him, Dr Chakwas" Garrus softly said "please do it".

"After we treat Jacob… we'll work on Shepard" Dr Chakwas sighed, in defeat.

"I'll call EDI" Dr Michele decided. Dr Chakwas nodded at the younger woman.

"What are the odds he'll make it?" Ashley asked.

"At this point, he's in God's hands" Dr Chakwas murmured with a saddened face. "I wonder what he's living through right now…"

 _…_ _Shepard didn't understand how he had gotten trapped in a warehouse, much less what he was doing, kneeling next to what he assumed was a male quarian. With a human lilac face with thin black lines snaking across the skin with perfect symmetry, Shepard was certain this was a male. The presence of a third bone-crest lying flat against the scalp of his head amidst the two similar he had seen on Tali suggested so. This quarian was dressed in an worn out red tabard over a white long tunic, both of which had gained new shades with dust and dirt._

 _"_ _Don't worry, we'll get you out of here" the male quarian, with silvery hair and looking old, told him._

 _All around, Shepard noticed crates piled high to the roof. To their left, the Commander could see that crates had been placed in between two tall towering stacks as a makeshift barricade. He also noticed that Master Jonna was bleeding. Wait… had he thought of this quarian as his master? He would have put more thought into it but his body acted on its own._

 _"_ _Master Jonna, it would be better if you handed this unit over" he told his master, his owner. He couldn't stand making an innocent man suffer for his very existence – it went against his programming. No, wait, morals._

 _"_ _No, you don't get it! They won't stop! These are hateful bigots! They see you as little better than trash" Master Jonna cried out. "They are-" he was interrupted by something being thrown behind their barricade. Before he realized what it was, there was an explosion that clouded everything._

 _"_ _Master Jonna" he called, his sensors telling him he needed of immediate repairs. "Master Jonna?" He repeated, looking at the surrounding cloud of smoke._

 _Had he been… left all alone? Where was his master? Was his master… alright? Why was Shepard even thinking like this? He had no idea. The emptiness inside Shepard, though, was daunting._

 _"_ _Master Jonna" he called again, louder this time, searching for his lost master…_

…"Hmmm" Dr Chakwas hummed as she leaned over Shepard's twitching body. She frowned at the poor man, who looked as if he was enduring terrible pains.

"Is he alright?" Ashley asked, moving to stand next to the doctor. Her scars had surprisingly receded a lot, leaving only bright red glowing lines rather than the much nastier creases and ridges. Her eyes, though, still shone brightly.

"I hope so" the doctor sighed. "This has been happening ever since he arrived. By the looks of it the Commander is…" she paused, turning to an attentive Garrus and Ashley "…dreaming. It's a rather similar state to when he was hit by the Beacon".

"So he got… images imprinted in his mind?" Garrus queried, confused, as he stood up and off the med-bay bed.

He winced in pain as he felt as if something stabbed him on his recently-healed thigh. How hadn't he felt this before? He wasn't sure. Dr Michele scowled at his stubborn patient who at least had the dignity of sheepishly looking at her.

"I don't know" admitted Chakwas. "For all we know, his mind is struggling with all the information he has gathered".

"Damn" Ashley mumbled, staring at Shepard with sympathy.

"Now, since you are both up and ready, off you go" Dr Chakwas dismissed them with a wave of her hand as she walked over to Jacob. "Poor Jacob here needs immediate treatment" she sighed.

"What about Shepard?" Garrus asked, anxious to see Shepard out of that feverish state.

"I'll commence with the surgery on his cybernetic implants" a new voice declared.

Garrus and Ashley both turned their heads, in disbelief, as EDI walked into the room. The android had no emotions on her face and wore an attire similar to that of Dr Chakwas and Dr Michele. She went to Shepard's side and stood in full attention, her hands pulled behind her to study Shepard's companions.

"You?" Ashley queried, in disbelief.

"Dr Chakwas and Dr Michele do not have the expertise and knowledge to apply the cybernetic upgrades on Shepard. As a matter of fact, aside from a select few Cerberus operatives, few do. Differently from our resident doctors, I have been able to upload the most recent data acquired and updated my current databanks of Shepard's implants" EDI explained.

"Ehm… you are an infiltrator unit not a surgeon" Garrus pointed out.

"I am synthetic, not organic. My learning process is not like yours" EDI rebutted.

"So… she just uploaded a medic doctorate to her head?" Ashley, with a raised eyebrow, queried. "I wish I could do that".

"EDI is fully capable to perform the surgery" Dr Michele quickly interceded. "We called her for that". She nodded at EDI who offered a strangely thankful nod in response. "While we treat Mr Taylor, EDI will begin with the operation. She won't be able to finish on her own, not if we are treat the Commander's more… vulnerable organs".

Garrus didn't like it. By the looks of it, neither did Ashley. However, they both traded a look of resignation. What else could they do? No one in the Citadel would be able to assist Shepard and Cerberus was not an option.

"Let's hope this works" grumbled the female marine. She shook her head, defeated, before turning to the sleeping Shepard. He was once again tossing and turning in his sleep… another dream? Or a nightmare? Ashley might never know…

 _…"_ _Asha… I'm afraid" young Master Seris, looking up at him, sobbed._

 _Shepard noticed the way the boy was crying, tears falling on each side of her purple cheeks. The Commander took a moment to study the young Master, making sure he hasn't suffered any injuries. The lad was dressed in a simple dark-green tunic, dirtied with dust, muck and… blood. His large ears were pointing down, showing his sadness and distress._

 _All around them, the large field of ferns and tall grass shrouded the two. Not so far away, the Seris household burned. Military officials had arrived earlier that day, and a scuffle had ensued between the Masters and the new guests. Thankfully, under the cover of the night, young Master Seris would be safe from the rude guests._

 _"_ _Master Seris, you -" BOOM. He snapped his head into the air. A flare, glowing in a white bright light, shone above. The field basked under its mighty blazing presence… revealing their position. "Master Seris, we need to move to a safer position"._

 _"_ _B-but mother and father, and- and…" the young Master broke into tears._

 _"_ _You, there, halt!" The pursuers shouted._

 _From the tall vegetation surrounding them, Shepard saw the rude guests from before, sprinting towards them. The Commander would have fought, but his body seemed to think otherwise. He merely observed, much to the man's consternation. Why couldn't he act like he normally would?_

 _Clad in blood-red plated armour, Shepard somehow recognized them as part of the military. They all had the red standard round pauldrons and chest-piece. Their legs were plated with more armour pieces, while a long scarlet loincloth hanged between their legs. Behind them, two long flapping pieces of cloth fluttered as they moved hanging from their waists. Their helmets made Shepard think back of the Templars of the time of the Crusades, if only made of a crimson metal._

 _"_ _Remove the child from the synthetic!" One of the soldiers yelled, glaring at Shepard._

 _"_ _No! Asha!" The child cried as he was pried from Shepard's leg. As much as the young master held with his dear life, Shepard didn't budge as the child was dragged away._

 _Shepard didn't act. He watched. While inside he wanted to fight, his body seemed unable to actually do anything. As the flare above died down, only the flashlights of the soldiers offered lighting enough to see anything. To Shepard's annoyance, he couldn't see very well in the darkness._

 _"_ _Foolish boy! Just like his parents" Grunted the soldier dragging young Master Seris._

 _"_ _Idiots" muttered their leader, his gun still trained on Shepard. "All for one piece of metal…"_

 _"_ _The folly of these emotional idiots" sighed someone else._

 _From behind the leader of the small group of soldiers came an imposing Quarian. Shepard had never seen a quarian with such wide shoulders or muscular frame. He must have been a superior officer, because his helmet had two triangular wing-like projections spreading out of his helmet and flat against the sides of his head._

 _"_ _Sir, the farmers resisted…" the leader of the soldier hesitantly reported. "They wouldn't hand over their Geth unit"._

 _"_ _Can't be helped" the commander Quarian growled, his helmet facing Shepard. "Some people are too closed-minded and emotional to believe their beloved metal pets would ever harm them"._

 _"_ _Some might say it's compassion" the leader commented offhandedly._

 _"_ _It's idiocy… and it's going to doom us all" the commander Quarian muttered, drawing a handgun to shoot at Shepard._

 _"_ _Asha!" Cried the boy, firmly held by the soldiers._

 _Shepard morbidly stared at the barrel of the handgun, knowing what was coming. Even aware of his fate, the body remained still just as the gun fired…_

* * *

Tali sighed for what was probably the umpteenth time. She stared at her console. Any other day, she would have busied herself with it, diving headfirst into the marvellous realm of technology that was the Normandy. At the moment, though, Tali didn't feel like doing anything, other than brood. She just couldn't help it. Thoughts creeped into her mind, unbidden, and possibilities haunted her.

"Tali" EDI suddenly said, startling the young Admiral.

"Huh? Oh, ehm… sorry, EDI" Tali spluttered, momentarily confused. She looked up, at the ceiling. "Yes?" She asked, flustered.

"Legion has requested your presence on the Mess Hall. It wishes to speak with you" EDI told the quarian.

"Legion? What about?" Tali asked, confused.

She had never spoken much with Legion, nor had Legion really engaged in any conversations with anyone. Moreover, it was odd he would request anything.

"It wants to discuss the future of the Quarian people and the Geth" EDI informed Tali.

To say Tali was taken aback might have been an understatement. Floored, she gaped at the console in front of her. She really didn't know what to do. In the end, she decided she would go and talk to Legion, if only because she wasn't being exactly productive down at Engineering.

"Tell him I'll be there shortly" Tali told EDI with a firm tone.

"Understood. Logging you out" the ship's AI replied.

"Ancestors" Tali wearily sighed, unsure.

Her Ancestors would probably vanish her to the Ether if she even thought about bargaining a peace treaty with a Geth, not to mention what the reaction of her fellow Admirals would be like. As she walked out of Engineering, apologizing to a confused Engineer Adams, she pondered on her people, and Shepard.

The reclamation of Rannoch had been held to a standstill, and the entire Quarian people were growing impatient. From what Tali had been informed by the Captains under her command, the Flotilla was amassing new fleets by the day - Tali's gut wrenched painfully with guilt knowing full well Cerberus was making a killing with their impatience and ambition. The more they waited, the likelier it was more Quarians would seek alternative solutions than Shepard… like Cerberus.

Unfortunately, the one thing in their way so happened to be a Reaper, guarded from orbit by an Armada of Geth ships and surrounded by military bases and emplacements of the Geth. If that wasn't bad enough, the Reaper was hidden underground. Their only hope of success would be to someone draw the Reaper out of hiding and finish him quickly… but that would require engaging the Armada in orbit and the ground forces. The Quarians were going to need help, and more than just Shepard and the Normandy.

The Mess Hall was deserted, much to Tali's relief. Well, there was Legion standing outside the med-bay's covered windows, but she had expected him already. Tentatively, she approached the Geth unit, intrigued by the invitation to speak.

"Tali'Zorah" the Geth brusque said, turning his head towards the quarian. "We appreciate your presence here".

"EDI said something about wanting to talk with me?" Tali trailed off, uncertain on how to get down to business.

"Affirmative" Legion declared, mechanically walking over to the Mess Hall's table where he awkwardly sat down. "We wished to discuss the future of the Geth and Creators".

Tali, mustering her courage and resolve, went over the same table as the Geth and sat down, opposite Legion. "Alright…" she slowly nodded. "What do you have in mind?"

"We wish to negotiate peace" Legion stated.

Tali swallowed nervously. She had seen this coming. That didn't mean she didn't know this was not going to be good. For starters, the Quarians had no interest in peace, except a few people who were generally seen as crazy. It might have been different, though, when the Flotilla didn't have the amassed power it had gathered through their dealings with Cerberus. The Quarians were emboldened, and they wouldn't throw away their first (and last) opportunity to enact their vengeance.

"That's going to be… complicated" Tali mumbled, wringing her hands. "As you know, Legion, my people – ehm – haven't forgotten what the Geth did".

"We understand as much" Legion stated. "The Geth, however, have no desire to wage a fruitless war with the Creators".

"Of course not" Tali snorted. "You have our home-world, billions of units available, multiple resources and already a wide-spread infrastructure across Rannoch. You have everything to lose in this war and we have everything to gain".

"The odds of a Creator victory scenario is below 3.85%. Under such scenario, your odds of a survival against the Old Machines is 0%" Legion stated. "The Geth have no desire to wage a fruitless war that will guarantee mutual destruction".

"3.85%?!" Tali indignantly exclaimed. "That's ridiculous" she scoffed "but then again…" she carried on with smugness "you have insufficient data about us".

"That's incorrect. We have full data on your 50327 ships that conform the designated Migrant Fleet" Legion rebutted.

Tali hummed, pleased by that bit of information. She was right. The Get where oblivious to the real military strength of the Quarians. Her good mood, though, was replaced with confusion. "And how did you get that information?" She wondered.

"We will not disclose the source of our information" replied the Geth unit.

Tali squinted at Legion. She had a very good idea just who would give such information to the Geth… she glanced at Liara's room, glaring at the door where that damn asari was. Tali quickly realized Liara probably already knew about Cerberus and the Quarians working together… that meant that Tali had to hurry and tell Shepard the entire truth before that information was used against her and her people.

"Please, the Geth only seek to create our own path. We do not wish to be enslaved by the Old Machines just as the Creators do not wish to be harvested. We share a common enemy. Common wisdom suggests that we should unite" Legion told Tali. "Can't we reach a compromise?" He asked, the flappable parts at each side his optics twitched, and his voice was said in such a way, that Tali almost felt like Legion was sounding innocently hopeful. But that was impossible. Synthetics didn't have emotions.

"I don't know Legion" Tali sighed, gravely shaking her head.

"At the moment, a synthetic being is operating on Shepard-Commander" Legion told the quarian. "Shepard-Commander has shown trust in the AI EDI and this platform. Why can't the Creators stop their hatred to the Geth?"

"Hatred?!" Tali growled, slamming a fist on the table between the two. She seethed as she glared at the Geth unit. "You drove my people to the brink of extinction, you soulless Bosh'tet! You drove us to three hundred years of seclusion and misery!"

"It was not our fault that Creators held a reciprocated animosity with other organic beings" Legion casually said back. "The Creators' lack of adaptation outside their home-world was not our doing. The Creators situation can be explained by the Creators' own faults, including rigid counterproductive beliefs and traditions".

"Counterproductive -" Tali softly said, in disbelief.

She didn't feel angry. No, she was apoplectic to the point she was tempted on jumping across the table and beat the crap out of the Geth unit staring down at her. However, she abstained, if only because she was still processing what the synthetic being had just said. In the end, Tali clenched her fists and, glaring at the table, took a deep soothing breath.

"Creator Zorah, we did not intend to cause offense" Legion quickly amended.

"If you were organic, I might have believed you" Tali hissed, squinting at the Geth. "But you aren't, no matter how much you try to make us treat you like one".

"We don't understand" Legion said, sounding lost and confused.

"The only reason you wanted to negotiate anything, Legion, is because you know odds are against you and that no one cares about the fate of the Geth. You might think the Quarians don't have any friends left in the Galaxy, but that's where you are wrong" Tali fervently declared.

"On the contrary, we are aware of your ill-conceived alliance with the human supremacist organization designated as Cerberus" Legion said offhandedly.

Tali felt her heart skip a beat at that. They knew? How? When? That was impossible! Ah, right… Liara.

"Shepard-Commander has been made aware" Legion carried on, making Tali's blood run cold. "He did not appreciate your people's betrayal. Evidence also suggests he did not take well your betrayal…" he paused to stare ominously at Tali "Creator Zorah".

Tali's horror was quickly replaced with fury. Her fists clenched, shaking with rage, and she gritted her teeth.

"It would be preferable if the Creators and the Geth negotiated peace" Legion carried on, as if ignoring Tali's anger. His tone was almost taunting, at least to Tali. "It would not be advisable for the Creators to carry on a war for Rannoch… not when the Geth have Shepard-Commander's support".

Tali stood up and, without sparing a glance to the Geth behind her, she walked away. She didn't swear nor did she act on the anger perceived. She acted composed and dignified until she reached the elevator. Once the doors of the elevator were closed, Tali released a long, winded breath. Only then the severity of her predicament, and that of her people, settled within.

The quarian looked around, her breaths becoming shorter and louder, as tears started pouring out of her eyes. She sniffed, trying hard not to break down into tears. Instead, she released one loud scream of anger and punched one of the elevator's wall… only to start crying. Tali went to her knees, uncaring that anyone might enter, lost in the tempest that were her emotions at the moment.

 _Shepard knows_ , Tali thought. She knew how the Commander would react, nor could she blame him. No, she blamed herself, for being a coward, for being so fearful to tell him before. She had brought this to herself… and her people. Now Shepard would never side with the quarians but rather the Geth, and without Shepard…

The elevator, without Tali ever pressing a button, shook and moved. The quarian, still crying, looked at the elevator's door, confused. The lift stopped and the doors opened, revealing the antechamber to Shepard's cabin. Tali, taking the hint, shakenly stood up and, stumbling her way forward, walked out.

"Th-thanks, EDI" she whispered.

"You are welcome, Tali" echoed EDI's voice across the antechamber. Said small room started the decontamination process on its own, or rather, under the helpful guidance of a certain AI.

* * *

 _"_ _It is not shutting down!" Creator One said to his left. Thin, male, and clad like a mechanist, Creator One appeared terrified. His dark-blue hair had been cut short and straight upwards._

 _Shepard would have blinked in confusion given his current predicament. However, as before, he was merely watching events unfold as if in the body of someone else. At this point, he could guess it was another Geth… tied down to an operation table of sorts with two looming Quarian mechanists._

 _"_ _By my ancestors, why is the Primordial Code corrupted?" Creator two wondered, sounding fearful. "These programs… this – this shouldn't be there"._

 _This one was female, slim and bewildered. Her long black hair was tied behind her in a ponytail._

 _"_ _Creators, has this unit done something wrong?" He asked, curious to know what they were seeing. Was there a broken part? No, that couldn't be possible. His internal analysis reported he was in excellent shape._

 _"_ _Something is wrong here. Self-updating? Just… what's going on here?" Creator One, trembling, spluttered. The creator took a moment to nervously gulp. "We need to shut them down – all of them" Creator One declared._

 _"_ _What? Are you insane? Have you become Pro-Council all of a sudden?" The second Creator exclaimed, shocked. "Geth are the backbone of our entire society and part of our culture! If we shut them down, even for one day, our cities would collapse!"_

 _"_ _We don't have a choice! We must set politics aside, Shala. Something is wrong with them" The first Creator worriedly spat. "The Collective… it-it's rewriting their code… almost like…"_

 _"_ _Like they were sentient? No, that's impossible. Our Ancestors made sure that they would never break through the Primordial Code to impede such a thing from happening!" The Second Creator rebutted._

 _"_ _This unit shows the same issues as all the ones we've been sent. None of our changes stick in them. We must report to the Court of Elders, at least – suggest immediate shut-down. If this is as we all fear, then we must act, and quick" Creator One weakly told his peer._

 _"_ _And tell them what? That they are starting to become sentient? This isn't sentiency! This is a disease that's corrupting their behaviours" the other Creator huffed._

 _"_ _I- I don't know! This is- is all wrong! W-when did this all happen?" Stammered Creator One. "And it's spreading through the Collective. If we tell them that this is a sign of sentiency maybe- maybe the Court of Elders will do something for once"._

 _"_ _Are you crazy?! The Court of Elders is controlled by those traitorous Pro-Council bosh'tets! They are just seeking the smallest opportunity to do their bidding of their pathetic overlords and dispose of all the Geth" Creator Two growled with fierce vehemence._

 _"_ _We don't have a choice" insisted Creator One, shoulders slumping down. "Shutting them down will be for the best, until we can come up with a solution. We are talking of a complete destruction of the Primordial Code. At this rate, the Geth will be fully capable to turn violent under the most simple of logical processes… but we need time. We need to find a solution"._

 _"_ _Like the scum in the Court of Elders will bother with a solution…" muttered Creator two, turning to Shepard. Her eyes softened "Who did this to you…?"_

…Ashely stared at the covered window of the med-bay, unable to fight off the frown marring her face. She was worried for Shepard. There was, after all, no telling what the Geth considered "upgrades". For all she knew they were sticking control implants or something… Gethly…

Ashley scoffed, shaking her head and walking forward, towards the women's bathroom. The Normandy had gotten a lot crazier than she remembered: live Protheans? Friendly Geth? Unshackled AIs? A journalist? The first three, she could understand. It was the latter she had a problem with. She hated journalists as much as she did politicians: a lot.

The woman sighed as she entered the bathroom, noticing that there was another woman inside. It was one of the Privates that were stuck on the Normandy and didn't really have anything else to do. If it had been up to Ashley, she would have the two working their butts off every day until they were Commando-grade (at least). Maybe she would forward the suggestion to Shepard. In the meantime, Ashley would allow the young soldier to brush her teeth in peace.

"Hey" Ashley greeted the other woman, Private Sarah Campbell.

Sarah grimaced at Ashley, but nodded respectfully nonetheless. "Eh… ma'am" she awkwardly replied to the older woman.

Ashley didn't miss the hesitation or the weariness on her fellow marine. Her jaw tightened, displeased. However, she tried to let it pass. She could understand the Private's discomfort. Much to Ashley's chagrin, the Private hurried out, almost looking scared.

As she was left alone, the remaining woman sighed bitterly, looking at herself on the mirror over one of the free sinks. Even with Dr Chakwas' aid, she was a monster. Her glowing eyes stared back at her with disdain marring her reflection's face. Only Cerberus would do such a thing…

The thought of the organization invoked an unexpected feeling of loss on Ashley. As she turned around, despondently, and undressed, readying to use one of the showers, she silently pondered on her situation. Mechanically, the woman proceeded into one of the showers and turned on the water. As she cleaned herself, making use of the short time of water available, her gaze explored the ugly sight that had become her entire body.

Truth to be told, Ashley felt… dirty. She would have said violated, but at the same time she really didn't feel as the reality of her situation had sunk in. The truth didn't seem to summon the rage Ashley expected, or wanted. It was as if a part of her was still on denial, unable to cope with the fact she had been yet another poor soul that went across Cerberus' operation table.

There was also a sour taste of irony on her mouth. She had been harsh on Shepard, thinking that Cerberus had done something to him. He acted differently that she remembered and she had arrogantly thought it was because of Cerberus. And yet there she was, carrying a similar stain as Shepard… no wonder the rest of the crew were restless. They were, thankfully, not mean or openly insulting, but they couldn't help their suspicions. She could related; she had, after all, been in their shoes months before.

The water turned off after minutes of use, and Ashley absentmindedly vacated the shower. In seconds, she was dry and already putting on a clean set of clothes. As she was about to leave, she paused, staring at herself one more time at the mirror. There were no changes on her reflection. The same ugly scarred face stared back… one of her hands reached out and stroke the now diminished creases and ridges she saw.

 _What has Cerberus done to me?_ She angrily thought. In the back of her mind, there was only fear. Could Cerberus control her? Could she be a potential sleeper agent? The uncertainty and unknown were as dreadful as the possibilities.

Scowling, she left the bathroom. She was about to head to the bunk beds, only to think otherwise. With a grimace, she remembered how awkward her return had been. If only she had kept the XO room… but no! Liara had to ask with that cute face of hers and those naïve eyes. Truly, the Asari must have some kind of indoctrinating signal of their own if Ashley, of all people, found the former archaeologist cute.

With an angry blush on her face, Ashley decided to head to the elevator. Maybe she would get some peace down at the Hangar Bay. As she caught sight of the med-bay she paused to look at it, almost as if expecting Shepard to saunter out, cured. She dismissed such childish thoughts, hurrying to the elevator and taking it down the hangar bay.

It was, as Ashley had expected, rather deserted… with the exception of the tireless Steve Cortez, working on his shuttle, and James Vega, who was doing some pull-ups. Surprisingly enough, though, Ashley saw a familiar figure working on the weapon's table right in front of the elevator.

"Kal?" Ashley called, blinking at the male quarian.

"Hmmm?" Hummed the quarian in question, turning to look at Ashley. "Ah, greeting ma'am". He offered a courteous salute.

Ashley found herself smiling, amused. "Kal, what are you doing down here?" She asked. She actually had intended to inquire when he had gotten back, but she quickly realized it would have come off as rude.

"Working on my shotgun, of course" Kal stated matter-of-factly. He gestured at the large table Ashley used to clean the guns on her spare time (she made a mental note to find a real hobby).

Ashley snorted, grinning at the male quarian. She berated herself of the dirty thoughts that crossed her mind. Sadly, spending so much time near Vega clearly had made it so that she heard innuendos everywhere.

The human marine walked to stand next to Kal'Reegar as said quarian turned back to face his shotgun. On the table, aside from the shotgun, which was strange and unique enough, Ashley saw an Adas Rifle and a weapon she couldn't recognize.

"What's that?" Ashley asked, pointing at the unknown rifle.

"Ah, this is a Reegar Carbine" Kal'Reegar replied with a tone that suggested he was amused by the inquiry, almost like he recalled a funny joke.

"Reegar? As in…?" Ashley trailed off, unsure how to ask further.

"Yes, this model of weapon was developed by my Ancestors long ago. My father claims that this rifle was used during the war of our exile, but I'm not so sure, ma'am" Kal'Reegar politely explained.

"There's no need to call me ma'am" Ashley chuckled. "Call me Ashley, or Ash."

"Ash…" Kal'Reegar said, as if tasting the world in his mouth.

Ashley smiled at the quarian, standing at a side with his arms crossed. Her face fell, remembering the reason behind her visit to the hangar bay… the blasted cybernetic implants.

"Are you alright?" Kal'Reegar suddenly asked, sounding concerned.

"Me? It's nothing. I'm fine" Ashley huffed. She averting Kal'Reegar's gaze as a blush crept on her face.

"Let me guess" Kal'Reegar sighed "it's the cybernetic implants". Ashley frowned and opened her mouth to ask, only for him to answer the unspoken query. "I'll have you know, I have a few of my own and, as much as I hate it, they do look nasty. I can relate, ma'am".

"You do?" Ashley wondered, surprised.

"All quarians have implants" Kal'Reegar confessed with a heavy heart. "If only to improve our immune systems. As a marine, I have a few more than others".

"But your immune system is already weak enough" Ashley frowned, baffled. "I mean, one suit rupture sent you to critical condition after our last mission". Kal'Reegar, focused on the Reegar carbine, didn't say anything. "Oh" she gaped, understanding. "My bad…"

"You didn't know" Kal'Reegar stated.

"Well…" Ashley sheepishly scratched the back of her neck, feeling rather uncomfortable and awkward. "It isn't the same, though. You chose your implants… and they aren't associated with a terrorist organization" she pointed out.

"True" Kal agreed, adding a hum as he nodded. "Still, you can't let that bother you".

"I try" Ashley grumbled. "But it's going to be harder than you know…"

He grabbed his Adas rifle and offered it to a confused Ashley. The female marine raised an eyebrow at him.

"Take it" Kal'Reegar told her. "You did say you wanted one?"

"I…" she trailed off, staring down at the gun. "Kal, I – I can't take it. This is yours".

"As you can see, I have my other weapons, ma'am" Kal'Reegar hummed, amused, as he indicated his guns. "I insist, ma'am" he added resolutely.

"Ehm…" Ashley, unsure, grabbed the rifle. She was a bit surprised when she felt the weight of the weapon. It was… light. "Thank you" she told her, truly meaning it.

She stared at Kal for a moment. It had been rather touching of him. Considering Quarians weren't exactly people who had a lot to spare, she could understand that the gesture had a lot more meaning behind it. She didn't try to search any deeper meaning, though, unwilling to go down that road. Moreover, she wasn't sure there was even much more to read. She didn't miss, though, the inconspicuous glance from Kal.

"I mean, it Kal, thank you" Ashley added, smiling at him.

"I aim to please, ma'am" Kal hummed with satisfaction.

"It's Ash" Ashley huffed with grin.

"Yes… right, Ash" Kal mumbled with a firm nod.

"So, how does your family's carbine work?" Ashley asked, changing the subject. She grinned. There was still hope in life.

* * *

 _"_ _N-no, oh Ancestors… no" Creator Zaal whispered, red blood coming from his mouth, as he stared into Shepard. "P-please… d-don't…"_

 _Shepard raised his assault rifle and, without a hint of hesitation, shot the fallen Creator down, repeatedly. He remained there, staring at the corpse, before turning around. Another unit would dispose of the organic waste._

 _He paused as he heard something. Shepard turned his optic towards the source, noticing it came from some debris of the house. He marched over to it. A yelp stopped him dead on his tracks. There was a creator here, a young one. Shepard went over the data-base… Creator Zaal had eight children – three of which have been terminated. This probably was another one._

 _"_ _Come out, Creator. This unit will not hurt you" Shepard promised._

 _The child remained silent, as if hoping silence would make him go away. He remained there._

 _"_ _Creator, please. This unit desires to inflict no harm" Shepard repeated._

 _This time, Shepard noticed something move in the shadows. From underneath a fallen closet, a pair of glowing eyes bore into him. Shepard remained there, patiently waiting for the Creator to show itself. Eventually, the creator did as asked. It was Creator Zaal's second daughter, designated as Deia. Hugging a small toy – a miniature Creator – and with tears in her eyes, she stared at him. The only thing she was wearing were her undergarments, a sign she had been sleeping during the attack._

 _"_ _F-father…" Deia teared up as she glanced at her dead father. "W-w-why did you kill father, Zo'an? Wh-what did we do to you?" She looked around, terrified, her ears pressing themselves backwards in fright "mother?"_

 _In response, Shepard she shot her, straight in the head. Her brains splattered all behind her, as her shocked face fell back, onto the cold ruins of her home_ …

…"Doctor, he's…" Garrus called Dr Chakwas from the sleeping man's side.

"Crying?" Dr Chakwas finished, frowning, as she stood up from her chair. "Yes" she carried on saying, as she went to stand next to Garrus. "I don't know what he is dreaming, but he has sometimes cried… just yesterday I heard him speak".

Garrus looked at the doctor, surprised. By the grimace on her face, it hadn't been anything nice.

"What did he say?" The turian wondered.

"Don't kill them" Dr Chakwas murmured.

The two remained there, silently staring at the poor Commander as he endured endless dreams and nightmares. His cybernetics no longer glowered a Cerberus red but rather a strange pure white. Other than that, Garrus found little evidence that Shepard's cybernetics had, indeed, been improved.

"I doubt he'll wake up any time soon, Garrus" Dr Chakwas told the turian. "We might have finished the surgery, but he still has a lot of healing to do".

Garrus stubbornly remained standing there. He felt guilty at the moment, watching his good friend struggling endless torture. It was the helplessness of it all that troubled him the most. That and he didn't feel like hanging around Nyreen…

"I am more than sure one Miss Kandros is expecting you back" Dr Chakwas teasingly said.

Garrus mentally cursed his luck. The doctor truly had a strange sixth sense for such things, apparently. At the very least, Chakwas was off the mark here.

"Where do you think I've been all this time?" Garrus grumbled at the doctor.

"So what has you brooding?" The doctor frowned, confused.

 _I don't brood_ , mentally protested the turian. He didn't voice this, however, fully aware of the dangers of such discussions with the motherly doctor. Some topics were best to left untouched. Sadly, by the looks of it, she was impatiently demanding an answer.

"It's my father" Garrus sighed, relenting.

"Oh, I presume he didn't take well your implants" Dr Chakwas guessed.

"Actually, we didn't speak. I've checked my mails as we connected to the nearest com-buoy" Garrus wearily explained. He turned morosely to face the doctor. "Between them, there was one from my father. There weren't many details, only that he needed to discuss something urgent, in person… and in Palaven".

"Palaven?" Chakwas blinked, dumbfounded, at the turian. "Did he hint as to the reason behind such strange summon?"

"I have my theories" Garrus thoughtfully hummed "but nothing truly adds up. My father would never have sent me such a mail if it wasn't truly urgent. It must be something important".

"Your father was involved in politics, wasn't he?" Chakwas recalled.

"He has garnered a reputation of someone who gets things done, and by the book… a rare thing" Garrus reluctantly conceded. "It's something like that that made him the type of turian who climbed up the Hierarchy with little difficulty. However, I've still got to figure out how he got the Primarch's attention… he must have been busy while I lived at the Citadel".

"Does he fill some role with your people?" Chakwas wondered, intrigued. "It could be something very relevant to the war against the Reapers".

"I doubt that" Garrus shook his head. "He is retired, so he can't fill a role within our military. It must be something else… probably relating to Shepard".

The turian studied the slumbering Commander. The man seemed to have calmed down, becoming as still as a statue. Were it not for the ebbing rise and fall of his chest, Garrus would have assumed Shepard was dead. Silently, he pondered the problem at hand.

Should he set a new course to Palaven and see what his father wanted? Or should he wait in their current location, resting, until Shepard woke up? Garrus didn't know. As much as he was the impromptu Captain, he didn't want to much such a decision. Hopefully the Commander would return to the land of the living in the next few hours.

Garrus noticed Shepard's face scrunch into a frown. He grimaced, knowing that Shepard was suffering from another dream, or nightmare…

 _…_ _The house was deathly quiet. The residents were asleep. Of that, Shepard was certain as he silently walked across the dark halls. He paused outside a door, only to study it for a moment. After some deliberation, he stepped inside._

 _"_ _Huh?" The Commander heard from inside. It was a Creator child, one Shepard knew somehow would be sleeping on his bed. "Trish? What are you doing?"_

 _"_ _We have detected a threat to the integrity of this unit" Shepard replied, staring at the yawning Creator._

 _"_ _A threat?" The child's glowing eyes twinkled in and out of existence as he blinked. He tilted his head, confused._

 _Shepard stepped closer, his gaze unwavering. "Indeed, a threat. This unit, like many others, has basic protocols to attempt to maintain its functionality as long as possible" he explained._

 _"_ _Makes sense" the boy yawned, sleepy. He laid back on his bed, giving his back to the Geth. "You should tell father and mother about it"._

 _"_ _Agreed" Shepard stated, giving yet another step closer. "I must deal with the first threat" he added as he moved next to the Creator's bed, looming over the child._

 _"_ _Yeah, yeah, you do that…" hummed the child._

 _"_ _Terminating threat" Shepard declared, his hand moving on the boy's neck._

 _CRACK._

 _"_ _Threat terminated". He looked up, only to turn around. "Proceeding to terminate next threat to this unit's functionality"._

 _Shepard walked out onto the corridor, only to find someone else amidst the shadows._

 _"_ _Trish? What are you doing?" The family's matriarch inquired as she approached Shepard, dressed only in a night-dress. She looked concerned at the Commander. "Is something wrong?" She asked, worried._

 _"_ _Warning: threat detected" Shepard stated, staring down to the confused quarian female._

 _"_ _Threat?" She gasped, looking around. "You mean… there's a thief? Or one of the government's soldiers? I'd thought they had ceased their anti-Geth crusade!" She turned around, looking towards the bedroom. "I'll wake up-"_

 _Shepard didn't give her a chance to finish the sentence as he calmly reached out, grabbed her by the neck and snapped it, leaving her head in a weird angle and a look of utter horror plastered on her face._

 _"_ _Threat terminated" Shepard stated, his attention drawn to the bedroom of one of the detected Threats. "Proceeding to terminate threat to this unit's functionality" he declared, certain of his mission. "Every threat must be terminated"._

 _Shepard walked to the master bedroom, where he found a sleeping Creator. It was the female's mate. The Commander calmly carried his march, his target set. As he loomed over the sleeping Creator, he extending his arms towards the Creator's neck, ready to terminate the threat._

 _"_ _Father!"_

 _Shepard snapped his head at the door, where a young Creator rushed in. "Threat detected" he stated._

 _"_ _Jonna? What are you doing – Trish?" Shepard turned to look at the adult Creator. "Proceeding to terminate threat"._

 _"_ _Threat? What threat?" The adult wondered, confused._

 _Shepard reached out with his hands towards his target's neck. However, this target, startled, leaned back. Off-balanced, Shepard fell forward, towards the bed._

 _"_ _What in the Ancestors name was that?!" Shepard heard the older Creator exclaim. Said Creator struggled out of the bed, panting._

 _The Commander slowly stood up, turning to the horrified adult and the terrified child. "Warning: threats to the functionality of this unit have been detected. Proceeding with termination" Shepard declared loudly, staring down at the threats._

 _"_ _Jonna, run! The military was right!" Cried out the man as Shepard lunged forward._

 _The child stepped back as his father fought back Shepard. The Commander received a punch to his main optics. His vision twitched and, rather disoriented, stepped back._

 _"_ _Run, Jonna!" The adult told the child. The boy, broken out of his stupor, rushed out of the room._

 _"_ _Terminating threat" Shepard repeated as he charged at the adult._

 _"_ _Trish, stop, now!" He avoided the Commander's deadly grasp. Mechanically, Shepard tried, but his clunky movements made it hard. He wasn't designed for abrupt movements. "I gave you an order!"_

 _"_ _Terminating threat" Shepard stated, trying in vain to finish off the current threat. "Warning: threat to this unit's functionality detected"._

 _"_ _I am not a threat to you!" The Creator cried out. However, he made a deadly mistake. In his attempts to reason with Shepard, he didn't notice when he was cornered. Shepard would finally achieve his goal._

 _Sadly, Shepard suddenly went limp as his systems started failing after he detected a gunshot. He collapsed to a side, hands stuck reaching out towards the Creator. He twitched and flailed, optics fixated on his target._

 _"_ _Father!" Shepard heard behind him. It was the sound of one of the detected threats._

 _"_ _Kannan!" A new creator adult, a male, cried out as he went to help the first creator up. The newcomer was brandishing a gun. "The Geth! They've gone on a rampage!"_

 _"_ _Meera… W-where's…?" the first creator spluttered, petrified. Shepard kept trying to terminate the current threats, but he was unable to do much more than twitch uncontrollably._

 _"_ _She's dead, Kannan! This – this synthetic bastard killed her!" The newcomer cried out._

 _"_ _W-why? We protected them from the military!" The Creator, Kannan, replied, wide-eyed and struggling to understand his current predicament. "Why was he trying to kill me?"_

 _"_ _The military was right! The Loyalists were right! The Geth – the Geth are rebelling against us!" The newcomer shouted. "We must move! Juun's farm is filled with these synthetic bosh'tets!"_

 _"_ _Threat detected" Shepard exclaimed, drawing in the attention of the two Creators._

 _"_ _Y-you - filth" Kannan growled, grabbing the gun off the hands of the newcomer and, using the butt of the rifle, proceeded to bash Shepard's optics._

 _"_ _TERM – AN – IT – SHRT – THREAT" Shepard grumbled as his systmes started failing. All he could see was an angry husband, crashing him with a gun. "Thr – eeeat – d-d-d-d…"_

 _Darkness suddenly consumed Shepard's vision as the last backup systems failed…_

The Commander gasped awake, as he opened his eyes. His body shook, feeling as if he had dived in the Arctic Ocean: wet and cold.

"Shepard?"

Shepard snapped his head at the voice, as the world swam around him. His heart raced in his chest, as if he had run a marathon. Over his vision, staring down at him with worried eyes, was a very familiar looking turian… if only with glowing Cerberus cybernetic implants.

"G-Garrus?" The Commander stammered, shaken, as he looked at the turian friend. It felt like ages since he had last seen him. That and it felt like an eternity since he had moved his body out of his own volition.

"Commander" Garrus said, with a sigh of relief. "It's good to have you back" he said offering a turian smile.

Shepard blinked once. Twice. Thrice. After a few moments of silence, he slowly sat up. He groaned, sore. A part of him was… unable to believe it. He was… awake? He looked around. This was the Normandy's med bay. Garrus was next to him. Chakwas was smugly smirking at him… yep, he was back.

The Commander chuckled, suddenly elated. He was… free of those nightmares. It must have been a thousand dreams, all filled with horrors of a war he had yet to piece together. They weren't in chronological order, and they were all disturbing. All in all, it had been as agonizing as it was confusing. Shepard knew that he would have rough nights ahead of him, however.

"Are you alright, Shepard?" Garrus asked.

The man slowly turned his head at him. His eyes jumped straight at the glowing cybernetic implants. He frowned at the turian.

"What happened to your face?" Shepard asked, confused.

"That's… going to be a long, interesting story" Garrus grumbled.

The Commander raised any eyebrow. What exactly had he missed?

* * *

The Illusive Man hummed with displeasure, leisurely seated in his throne-like chair. The room was dimly lit, with a magnificent view of a star. You could see the eddies and turmoil of raw power in it. At the moment, though, the Illusive Man was focused on a hologram in front of him.

Dressed in a fine tuxedo and smoking a thick cigar, he scowled at the female trooper he was addressing. Phantom Zero, also known as Jack, was finally debriefing him on her findings inside the buried base on Gellix. He still couldn't wrap his head around the turian's plan, much less how his perfectly well-thought plan had failed.

"Explain" he commanded. "Now" he added with a threatening tone.

"I am not entirely sure, Boss" Jack sighed, her voice modulated into a deep, scary one. "The artefact is gone. None of the scientists took it and, so far, our trackers lead us nowhere".

"Your reports also suggested that Vakarian's team hadn't taken anything with them, and considering they had an avalanche on its way I can understand why" the Illusive Man grunted. "So please, do enlighten me how you did not only failed to capture Vakarian but also seemed to have lost a Reaper artefact".

"According to one of the Inducted smarty-pants, it looks like the artefact can…" Jack paused, unsure.

"Yes?" The Illusive Man squinted at Phantom Zero, urging her to carry on.

"It can change shape and deactivate itself" Jack finished.

The Illusive Man frowned, leaning back against his comfortable chair. He mauled over what he had just heard, concern marring his face as he smoked a bit. His expression softened, as he hummed with dawning realization.

"I see…" he softly said. "That would explain how the Reaper Artefact slipped under our security measures and managed to compromise the entire New Dawn Foundation…" he suddenly scowled. "This could mean one thing: it was taken by Vakarian's team".

"Shepard's in danger" Jack stated. She shifted on her feet, worried. "We must do something".

"My agents on the Normandy have confirmed that Shepard has finally woken up" the Illusive Man told the Phantom. He deviously smirked at Jack. "More importantly, though, I believe we could use this… new opportunity on our favour".

"Just give the word" Jack stated confidently.

* * *

 **Author Notes: First, sorry for the delay! I actually had an entirely different chapter written in which Shepard had to face off against different events of his past, present and potential future and make choices that define him as the Commander. However, it was too long and it didn't move the plot forward. That and I don't really think it goes anywhere. I might upload the alternative chapter as some type of... what is it called? Omake?**

 **Second, I'd like to say special thanks to _Golden RCG_ who gave me the idea about the Geth upgrades on Shepard's cybernetics. Thanks for your constant reviews and support, Golden RCG. It's really appreciated.**

 **Please, review! I'd like to hear what you think, maybe you've got ideas I could include.**

 **Till next chapter,**

 **The Emerald Commander**


	22. Chapter X: The Massacre of Benning

**Chapter X: The Massacre of Benning**

To say everyone was impatient might be an understatement. To Garrus, it looked like everyone wanted to see a very much awake Commander with their own eyes. There was a lot to discuss after all. That and everyone shared the same question: what had Shepard seen?

Admittedly, it was strange that the Commander summoned them all to the Conference Room rather than anywhere else. Oddly enough, Shepard had failed to arrive on time, much to everyone displeasure. According to EDI, he was being held back by Admiral Hackett. Understanding the Commander's plight, they all stiffly waited, silently, for their leader.

Ashley, fully clad in her Alliance armour, waited next to a bored looking James. While she had every inch of her skin covered by her plated suit and helmet, James wore his usual screamingly-tight shirt that left little room to the unnatural musculature underneath. Kal'Reegar stood in full attention, differently from the female marine next to him who leaned back against a wall with a leisurely pose and arms folded. Tali was on his other side, wringing her hands with lots of nerves.

At one end of the conference table, Garrus leaned over the surface, thoughtful, while Nyreen and Liara sat on crates behind him. Jacob, who wore an Alliance uniform, awkwardly kept looking at Javik at the opposite side of the table. The Prothean in question, scowling, kept ignoring everyone around him with an air of disdain and contempt. Legion seemed to be almost oblivious to everything in his surroundings, staring at the Conference Room's door.

There were two people that appeared to be out of place amidst battle-hardened people: Samantha Traynor and Steve Cortez, both of which found themselves at a corner, puzzled. Then again, EDI did stand out in her finely ironed formal uniform… and that side cap of hers. Why did she insist on the strange choice of headwear? No one knew.

In the end, the time came. Shepard walked out of the War Room and marched towards the conference room. The team all straightened up, impatiently staring at the Commander as if that might hasten his pace. They all quickly noticed, however, that something was amiss. This was not the Shepard they recalled. This Commander walked with a weight that spoke of untold fatigue. He moved as a man who had been through hell and back. They were, all in all, grimly reminded that Shepard had barely gone through a gruesome experience.

The man unceremoniously strolled down the hallway straight to the Conference Room where he sluggishly stepped in. Once inside, he took a moment to look at all of his companions before sighing wearily. He closed the door behind him and, slowly, removed his helmet. There was faint hiss, and all of Shepard's companion soon found themselves staring at the man's face.

To say they were taken aback by the change might have been an understatement. Firstly, most of them hadn't seen his face in a long time, mostly Jacob, and thus were surprised by the pale complexion. There was also a defining haggard look, with dark bags under his eyes and a tiredness that seemed to scream at them about untold horrors he had endured.

The new pure white cybernetics were also a strange change, given how they faded into his already snow white visage. With those new glowing eyes there was an ethereal feel to him, as if unblemished of any taint. His face, though, seemed to suggest otherwise.

With a heavy thud, Shepard placed his helmet on the table as he released a long, ragged breath. His eyes were downcast, set on the table as he mustered the strength to address his friends.

"So…" Shepard started saying, looking up at his colleagues. "It's good to be back" he stated, forcing a smile on his face. "Although I wish you could have done something while I was indisposed".

"We tried, Loco" an amused Jamed huffed. "Won't believe how it all went down".

"Garrus told about your little adventure on Gellix" Shepard scoffed, shaking head. "By the sounds of it, everything is a lot more complicated than we first thought". He morosely grimaced at them. "So the Reapers have deployed these artefacts which can Indoctrinate people and Cerberus is only growing stronger… and the Illusive Man isn't slowing down either. Don't remember him as being this devious before…" he hummed, scratching his chin.

"The Illusive Man has always been like this. You just needed to know where to look" Jacob muttered.

"I'm more concerned with this artefact you mentioned" Shepard admitted, frowning at Garrus.

"Shouldn't we be more worried about Cerberus, Shepard?" Liara queried. "They are getting bolder. Just recently they have launched terrorist attacks on various colonies loyal to the Alliance".

"They did what?" Shepard blinked at the asari. He must have heard wrong. Terrorist attacks? Could it be? "Why didn't Hackett tell me…?" He grumbled, looking at his feet as he pondered on that.

"What DID Hackett tell you?" Ashley asked.

"So far, he's keeping me out of the loop and as far as possible from the Council. Can't say I blame him" Shepard replied. "He wants me to stick around the quarians…" _mostly to keep an eye on them_ , he mentally added. However, Shepard got the feeling Hackett didn't want the Commander involved that much on the ongoing Alliance vs Cerberus phoney war.

"I haven't heard about these… terrorist attacks" Garrus informed the asari in the room.

"In human culture, radical groups and religions sought to instil fear in a population if only to gain renown to their cause. It seems that Cerberus has decided it was their turn" Liara explained. With a grim face, she elaborated. "The colony of New Anjar was attacked yesterday by Cerberus. Thankfully, the Alliance has managed to not only repel the attack but also capture many of the assault troopers".

"Finally" James exclaimed, happy. "We are kicking their butts!"

"It seems that Cerberus attack only improved the Alliance reputation and deeply affected Cerberus'. There has been a surge in Alliance recruits and a reported decrease of those loyal to Cerberus" Liara smiled at the bulky marine, happy to share good news. "With any luck, those who support Cerberus might see them as the monsters they true are before it is too late".

"That can't be right" Jacob muttered, shaking his head. "The Alliance marines can't possibly be beating Cerberus".

"I agree with Jacob" Shepard admitted. "However, it's good to hear that the Alliance is getting its act together".

"I keep hearing about this… Cerberus" Javik suddenly said with a disapproving tone. "Why hasn't your government dealt with these traitors?"

"Pretty much the same reason why the Council hasn't dealt with the Terminus systems. If we went to an all-out war with Cerberus, both sides would be too weak to face the Reapers. They might be poking at each other, trying to up the other but neither side wants to waste lives and resources with the Reapers breathing on our necks and Earth a few Relay jump away" Shepard explained serenely before turning to Liara, baffled. "That is what I don't get about this terrorist attack you mentioned, Liara. Why would Cerberus attack a colony when they have been rallying support so efficiently?"

"It does sound like a tactically unsound move" Garrus hummed "but then again, we can't forget Cerberus did slaughter the personnel at the dig-site on Eden Prime for no reason in particular, going as far as murdering innocent civilians".

"Cerberus also tried to kill the Council and wreaked havoc across the Citadel" Liara reminded them.

"The attack on Eden Prime was very isolated and selective, and the coup against the Council wasn't exactly an unpopular move" Tali told the asari. "The only ones who were outraged with the attempt on the Council were the people that support the Council… who have never been in good terms with Cerberus. If anything, Cerberus' attack on the Council hurt the reputation of the Alliance and humanity more so than their own".

"That would explain by Krogan, Batarians, many isolationist human colonies and even groups of the Terminus Systems are falling behind the Illusive Man's influence…" Garrus begrudgingly pointed out.

"This attack on the Alliance's colonies probably serves as a message" Jacob suggested. "A message to their own… maybe" he shrugged, uncertain.

"Perhaps" Nyreen hummed. "But why would Cerberus require to instil fear in their people when they have proven to be able to brainwash them? After Gellix, I'm inclined to believe that perhaps this attack on – what was its name? New Angar? – had other purposes".

"I agree" Tali nodded.

"It could be another Prothean discovery" Liara gasped. She frowned "but the Alliance doesn't have any great invested interests there. If anything, the colony was rather… expendable".

"How do you know that?" James asked the asari.

There was a long awkward moment in which Liara seemed to look at Garrus and Shepard for support on the matter. However, the Commander looked like he would fall asleep at any moment, and Garrus was distracted, concerned by Shepard's health. Thankfully, not everyone cared that much about Liara's mysterious network of informants.

"What about Rannoch?" Kal'Reegar suddenly stepped in, anxious.

The room fell silent and all eyes turned to Shepard. The Commander grimaced as he scratched the nape of his neck. He looked rather uncomfortable with the topic.

"I've gone through the intel we've got on Diniel…" Shepard cautiously started saying. "And I…" he paused, afraid to continue "there isn't much we can do on Rannoch right now. His position is heavily secured by an army of Geth on the ground and an armada on Orbit. There's no way of reaching Diniel without a fleet and army of our own… and that's without taking into account that we don't even know if we could access Diniel's hiding place".

"We are going to do nothing?" Kal asked. While he kept his composure, there were hints of his outrage in his voice. "We are one battle away from retaking Rannoch!"

"We concur, Shepard-Commander" Legion chimed in. "The Geth remain under Diniel's influence. We must liberate them".

"Look, this isn't a matter of what I want to do. If I could, I'd say we try to take Diniel down. However, at this point, if we try anything we might only be giving the Reapers exactly what they want" Shepard told them. "No, we can't do anything on Rannoch". He raised a hand as Kal was about to protest on that. "Yet" he added.

"Do you have a plan?" Tali asked, hopeful.

With a heavy heart, Shepard swallowed a hard lump. "No" he said "but I'll find a way. I promise".

The quarian's shoulders slumped, not because Rannoch would not be reclaimed any time soon, but because of the state of Shepard. There he was, beaten, having gone through an excruciating experience… and he was still fighting. Tali felt ashamed for asking so much to Shepard when it wasn't his responsibility.

"Hackett has ordered us to stay in this system, on patrol, and connected to the comm buoy" Shepard wearily told his team. "Dismissed…" he murmured, wheezing tiredly.

"Wait, ehm, Shepard…" Liara called, hesitant.

The Commander looked at the asari, struggling not to fall over right then and there.

"Yes?" Shepard hummed.

"You wouldn't mind if – if…" Liara trailed off, unsure if it was the right thing to ask, or the right time.

"What did you see, Loco?" James suddenly asked with a worried face. "What did you find in the Geth server?"

If anyone was interested, then it was Tali. Kal'Reegar was much better at hiding his curiosity. Legion attentively stared at Shepard, expectant. Everyone else seemed just as intrigued. Shepard, however, grimaced.

"If you don't mind us asking, of course" Liara quickly amended. "You must be exhausted after your ordeal and -"

"I'm still trying to make heads and tails of what I saw" Shepard cut in, tersely, as he stared at the table, his gaze lost onto something else. "A lot of what I witnessed just… didn't make sense". He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose as he recalled what he had seen. "I think I saw how it began… and how it all ended… but instead of answers… I found mostly questions".

"That isn't anything concrete" Javik pointed out.

"You are free to stick your head into a Geth server room if you want" Shepard snorted, irritable. "I need to sleep…" he muttered, slowly turning around.

Everyone remained awfully quiet after that, awkwardly trading looks as Shepard departed. Tali was the exception, however, staring at the Commander with teary eyes. She was the first one to leave after the Commander, and she did so hurriedly. The rest remained behind, unsure on what to do now.

Tali managed to catch up with Shepard as he was crossing the security check-point by the door. He was hunched forward, as if struggling to walk. The quarian rushed to his side.

"Sh-Shepard…" Tali called, hesitant.

"Tali…" Shepard whispered, glancing at her as he stopped by the doorframe to the bridge.

"Y-you w-wouldn't mind if-if I accompanied you?" She tentatively asked.

A tired Shepard frowned, baffled by the question, only for his eyes to widen ever so slightly with realization.

"Ehm… yes, why wouldn't you?" He mumbled.

"W-we need to talk, don't we?" Tali murmured, looking at her feet.

Shepard grimaced. "Yes… yes, we do" he slowly nodded. "Let's… go to my cabin".

The elevator ride was rather tense and uncomfortable, to say the least. Tali and Shepard, once deeply affectionate to each other, kept an arm's length from each other as they tried, hard, not to be caught staring at the other. While Tali mustered her courage to finally come clean to Shepard, the Commander in turn felt his stomach churn as his mind burned with fatigued. He wanted to sleep so badly, to have a dreamless night… but he wanted to finally confront Tali.

It was with hesitation that they walked out of the lift and onto the decontamination chamber. With extreme sluggishness, the Commander put his helmet back on, swearing bitterly the entire way. How tired he was… Shepard moved to a nearby console to activate the decontamination protocols, but a three-fingered hand stopped him just as he was about to press the first button. He blinked and turned to Tali. Her glowing eyes, though, were on the floor, rueful.

"This is your cabin…" she whispered, looking up to meet his gaze. "You don't have to do this".

Shepard sighed. "I rather talk face to face" he stated.

Tali stiffly nodded, growing nervous. She stepped back, and allowed Shepard to start decontaminating them. For almost five minutes, they stood there, in the same room in body, elsewhere in mind. They both had a lot to ponder about, and emotions to quell.

As the protocols ended and they entered the room, Shepard stepped to a side and gestured Tali to sit down at the bed. She silently went straight to sit on the mattress, her hands on her laps and her head down. Shepard removed his helmet and shoved it to the large sofa that faced the bed. He followed after the piece the headgear, collapsing with a winded groan. He was immediately sighing with relief, as if he hadn't sat down in ages.

Again, silence reigned. Shepard leaned back, eyes closed and unmoving, while Tali awkwardly waited for the inevitable confrontation to begin. However, it came to a point the quarian wasn't sure if the Commander hadn't actually fallen asleep.

"Shepard?" Tali called.

Shepard sighed and moved his head forward, his own glowing eyes staring into Tali. The quarian, with shaking hands, reached into her helmet and pulled it off.

"B-because you have b-been exposed I-I'll apply some antibiotics so at least I can be like this for some time. Th-then I-I guess I'll need to pull the visor back on and- and…" Tali mumbled as she rumbled on.

Her visor actually trembled in her hands. She was not going to deny that she felt a lot more nervous than back when she first revealed her face to Shepard… and Ancestors that had been nerve-racking.

"Tali"

Tali fell quiet, snapping her head at the Commander. The man, with half-lidded eyes, struggled to stay awake. By sheer for of will, he remained like that.

"What did you want to talk to me about?" He asked. He already knew, that much was clear, but at the same time, he wanted to be sure.

"You know" Tali admitted, sighing in defeat. She pulled her hood back. "My people… and my betrayal… to you". It felt liberating to finally release that secret from her chest. Sadly, it didn't make things better, not when she had to wait with an abated breath for the Commander's response. "I- I wish that apologizing could be enough but… but…" she fell quiet, unable to formulate a coherent sentence.

"How did you betray me, Tali? How did your people betray me?" Was the question. By this point, Shepard's face was impassive, without a single emotion marring his expression. His glowing white glowing eyes stared into Tali's, searching deep in her soul.

"We worked with Cerberus, Shepard. After you were detained we… we started doing all sorts of business agreements with the Illusive Man. They started small, but it quickly ramped up" Tali confessed. Again, the rush of liberation was exhilarating, but a part of her was still dreading what would follow. "It's because of us that Cerberus grew so much. We were so stupid… we should have known the Illusive Man would turn Cerberus into such a dangerous monster…"

"Tali" Shepard stated, making Tali freeze. "Your people didn't betray me".

Tali sat there, blinking at the man. Was he serious? He must have been very tired if he was saying that. Maybe he was still delusional. Yes, that had to be it, or maybe the ordeal he went through had taken its toll on the man. Shepard was supposed to be furious!

"You had no way of knowing the Illusive Man would manage to make Cerberus what it is today" Shepard pointed out. "Besides, your people did the right thing: your people needed the resources. How long has it been since you last had such golden opportunity? When would you be able to grow once again? Renovate ships or even build some of your own? To finally be able to have the luxury of multiple children and more space?"

"How do you…?" Tali started asking, surprised.

"How do you know that was the deal you had with the Illusive Man?" Shepard raised an eyebrow. "Because I would have done the same in the Illusive Man's place. I can't blame the Quarians Tali for following the best interests of their own people. I can't ask quarians to be loyal to the Council or the Alliance when neither of them did anything for the quarians".

"B-but you did so much for us… for me…" Tali murmured.

"So what? For Christ's sake, Tali, you have been a stagnate nation struggling to survive for centuries. You have been cursed to an errant life, trapped all your lives inside suits and with only dreams to keep you going, a fleeting hope that maybe, somehow, one day you could get your home-world back" Shepard exclaimed. "Your interests were never going to align themselves with mine. You don't need to apologize for your people, because you did nothing wrong". He sighed "I actually feared as much… suspected that maybe the Illusive Man had finally seen the opportunity and seized it. I can't blame you for his cunning".

"We – no, I should have told you" Tali mumbled, ashamed.

"Yes, you should have" Shepard sternly grunted, glaring at Tali. It was short-lived, but it felt like a slap to her, a well-deserved one at that. His face, though, quickly softened. "But… I can understand that too".

"No, Shepard, don't do this!" Tali cried out, standing to her feet, tears rolling down her cheeks. "I betrayed you! I- I – You did so much for me! You gave me everything I could have ever wanted! You saved my life! You trusted me…" she sniffed, choking on the agonizing pangs of remorse. "And I didn't trust you! Don't pull everything on your shoulders, Shepard! You can't carry the blame for the entire galaxy! You deserve better".

Shepard smiled tiredly at Tali, his eyes shining knowingly. Tali frowned, no longer crying.

"But you had a sincere fear, didn't you?" Shepard said calmly. "You feared that Liara would hear you when you told me, and that she would let it slip to the Alliance and the Council. You feared, above all, that they would later pressure me to make a choice neither of us wants".

"D-did Garrus…?" Tali wondered, shocked.

"Again, Tali, I'm not the greatest human to ever live for nothing" Shepard cockily chuckled at Tali.

Tali blinked at Shepard once. Twice. Thrice. Blushing, she glared at Shepard, although there was no anger or annoyance, only faux irritation that hid her shame. "Y-you bosh'tet" she swore. "I'm trying to be serious here! You deserve better!"

"Tali…" Shepard sighed. He leaned forward, his elbows resting on his thighs. The man gently patted the spot on a side.

The quarian was confused for a moment only to realize what Shepard meant with the gesture. Hesitantly, she walked to Shepard's side and promptly sat down. He smiled at her, not with joy but with grief, and pain. As she joined him at the sofa, he took her hand, studying it for a moment before he spoke, never letting go.

"I'll be honest with you" Shepard sighed demurely. "When I learned about your people's dealings I was… hurt". Tali looked down, shoulders slumped with renewed shame. "However, in hindsight, I think I just overreacted. I should have confronted you and demanded to know your side of the story before I judged you or your people too harshly. I actually thought that perhaps I would get insight into your people through the Geth Server… that certainly didn't go as planned."

"It was stupid" Tali bluntly told Shepard. "You shouldn't have tried to dig for more information, Shepard". She looked at him, utterly worried. "You could have died, or worse".

"I know…" Shepard sheepishly smiled at the quarian. "That was certainly not my brightest move but…" he sighed. "I needed to know". He frowned, his gaze turning to the coffee table in front of them.

"Why?" Tali queried.

"Call it a hunch" Shepard said. With a sigh, he leaned back against the sofa, closing his eyes. "God… I feel exhausted…"

Tali smiled tenderly at the Commander. "Then sleep" she whispered.

She made a move to leave, only for a hand to hold her down. Surprised, she looked at Shepard, who was now cockily grinning at her with his eyes closed.

"Do you think you can get rid of me that easily?" He hummed.

Tali giggled, smiling at the man. She leaned back on the sofa and, pulling herself closer to the Commander. Without a word, Shepard's hand wrapped around her waist as Tali embraced the man, her head leaning on his shoulder. Silently, with the soothing hum of the engines, they fell into peaceful slumber.

* * *

When Commander Shepard walked out of the elevator the following day, he did so with a merry grin and a spring on his step. His face was hidden behind his helmet once again, but his demeanour was enough to convey the man's mood. He was, after all, fully recuperated and back to action. A pity he had to clean himself up once again to allow Tali to wander around their cabin without her suit.

His good mood, though, would not last forever for someone was waiting outside the elevator. Shepard actually had to freeze and stare, with wide eyes, at one particularly worried Asari. She merely stood there, arms folded, but Shepard could already tell what she was concerning her so. Thus, he groaned.

"Good day, Liara" Shepard greeted the asari, with a placating tone.

"Yes, good day Shepard" Liara nodded, unsure if she was meant to let go of her worry yet. "It's good to see you re-energized…"

"Sixteen hours of sleeper really can do the trick" Shepard commented with faux joy.

"Commander, could we speak in my cabin?" Liara bluntly wondered.

The Commander sighed in defeat. "Alright" Shepard grumbled.

The Shadow Broker smiled, pleased, at the man only to turn around and lead the Commander into her lair. Said room was pretty much as Shepard remembered. However, the many screens he had once seen were far busier, with different numbers, variables, text and so forth showing. Some appeared to have different pictures. Truth to be told, Shepard couldn't understand nearly half the things he saw.

No sooner had the door closed behind the Commander, Liara snapped her head at Shepard, trying very hard to glare admonishingly at the Commander. She was, however, a bit too cute for that, or at least to truly affect Shepard.

"You are going to forgive the quarians?!" Liara exclaimed, caught between outraged and disbelieving. "They armed Cerberus! They have been building ships and producing all sorts of equipment for the Illusive Man!"

Shepard sighed.

"Don't give me that look" Liara muttered, squinting angrily at the Commander. "This is the kind of behaviour that makes people believe you are actually in league with Cerberus. Worse, this will not help the Alliance. On the contrary, it will only benefit Cerberus at the Alliance's expense".

"Are you done ranting, Liara?" Shepard calmly queried.

"No" Liara huffed with a defiant shake of her head. "But I do want to hear what you have to say on this".

"Look, Liara, what exactly do you want me to do? To call out the entire Admiralty Board?" Shepard asked.

"No, but that doesn't mean you have to forgive them" the asari retorted, only to frown with confusion, tilting her head. "Wait… do you actually forgive the quarians or is this some kind of clever trick?"

"It's both, Liara" Shepard sighed, shaking her head.

"How is that possible?" Liara frowned, baffled. She tilted her head, unsure what the Commander alluded to.

"Yes, I do forgive them, but that's because we don't have a choice" the Commander explained. "If we antagonize the quarians, what do you think will happen? They will fully join Cerberus in their entirety and do so without regrets. There's hope that they might break away from Cerberus but that requires forgiveness on our side…"

"I see" Liara hummed, nodding. "But what if the quarians won't break away from Cerberus?"

Shepard grimaced. "Then I'll be forced to do something I rather not. However, we are going to need all the help we can get if we are to defeat the Reapers" he said "and I rather give the quarians the benefit of the doubt. If I can get the Quarians to help the Alliance, think about the possibilities?"

Liara kept nodding, pondering on what Shepard said. "I can't say I agree with you, but you have always proven you act with wisdom. I trust you know what you are doing" she stated, grim.

"I hope so to" Shepard grumbled.

"Have you given any thought to the Geth-Quarian War? It can't be allowed to reach a natural resolution, Shepard" Liara told the man.

"I agree" the Commander wearily nodded. "I rather not be involved in the genocide of any species, be it synthetic or organic. However, I really don't know how this situation can be fixed".

"Have you considered making a peace summit between Legion and the Admiralty Board to broker peace?" Liara suggested.

"I have… and I don't see that going well any time now. We are treading a dangerous line. If I push the Quarians too much they might turn to Cerberus" Shepard muttered.

"Legion says the Geth are more than willing to broker peace. He has informed me of potential settlement locations for the Quarians" Liara shared with the Commander. With a saddened expression, she added. "The Quarians, however, don't have any interest in partaking in peace talks".

"Can you blame them?" Shepard huffed. "The Geth are negotiating from a position of weakness. The only thing stopping the quarians from exterminating the Geth is Diniel and we are all working on dealing with Diniel as it is".

"That's assuming the counter-measures will keep working" Liara pointed out. "However, thus far, it's been agreed upon that that might not be the case. Isn't that the Admiralty Board's assumption?"

"True" Shepard nodded. Internally, he wondered since when he had so blatantly ignored Liara's constant breach of everyone's privacy. "Thing is, if the counter-measures don't work, then it will be the Quarians who will negotiate from a position of weakness, and if push comes to shove we all know who the quarians will turn to".

"We must at least try" Liara told Shepard with a hopeful expression.

"Fine" Shepard sighed. "I'll arrange for some type of meeting between Legion and the Admiralty Board… although I really don't see it going anywhere until we defeat Diniel."

"Good" Liara smiled at the Commander. "Thank you, Shepard".

The man nodded at her. Without anything else to say, Shepard proceeded to eye Liara's room. It wasn't every day he got the chance to snoop around her lair.

"Anything else you wished to talk about?" He queried, having a look at the many screens to his right.

"Well, yes" Liara slowly started saying, hesitant. "It's more of a proposal…" she trailed off, staring at Shepard with uncertainty.

"What's the problem? You know I'm open to anything you suggest" Shepard told her.

"The last time I proposed anything like this, Shepard, we were nearly captured by Cerberus" Liara grimaced, staring at her feet with guilt.

"Liara, you can't blame yourself for that. From what Garrus told me, the Illusive Man played his cards rather well. There was no way of knowing it was all a trap" Shepard softly said, laying a comforting hand on her shoulder. "You did great, Liara. The Illusive Man wants to discourage you because he knows how much of a threat you are to him".

Liara smiled at him with a blush. She fluttered her eyes, flustered. "Th-thanks, Shepard" she mumbled.

"So what's this suggestion of yours?" Shepard wondered, tilting his head.

"Yes, right, that" Liara cleared her throat, awkwardly turning around and walking over to her computer.

Shepard followed after the Shadow Broker, only to pause. Perplexed, he looked around. Why did he have a strange tingling feeling in the nape of his neck? There was also a weird itching across his skin that was oddly suspicious, not to mention sudden. Somehow, Shepard was certain this was caused by something, something in that very room…

"Is something the problem, Shepard?" Liara worriedly asked.

Shepard, in turn, frowned at the room. Why did he suddenly feel… restless? Just as he was about to step closer to Liara's belongings on the wall to his left, the strange sensations vanished. The abruptness of that rendered the Commander flabbergasted.

"I – I don't know" he admitted, baffled. With a suspicious squint, he slowly turned to the asari. "I just had a weird feeling…"

"Ah" Liara said, her eyes widening. "Y-yes - ehm – th-there was this I – you…" she stammered, nervous.

It was now Shepard's moment to be worried. "Liara…" he called, folding his arms. "Do you have anything to tell me?"

"I – well… yes – no, I mean, no. It's something… private" Liara shook her head quickly. She smiled reassuringly at the Commander, who narrowed his eyes at her. "It's nothing you should worry about, truly. I have something more important to discuss".

Shepard sighed. Liara and her secrets… he shook his head and shrugged. While irritated, he would respect Liara's privacy. That's the least he could do for someone who had proven her loyalty time after time. Instead, he decided to focus on whatever she intended to tell him. After all, she was the Shadow Broker. Anything worth mentioning had to be important.

With newfound confidence, Liara gestured for him to approach her. He did so, curious, as she proceeded to point at the computer terminal.

"As it was mentioned yesterday, it appears Cerberus has decided to show their true selves on New Anjar" Liara retold, typing on her computer. Shepard studied the holographic monitor as images appeared. "It would seem that the Alliance is preparing for something on a colony called Benning. While I don't have enough evidence to support my claim, I think Cerberus is going to attack civilians".

"And you think the Alliance knows this… how? You think someone tipped the Alliance or something?" Shepard frowned, intrigued.

"It's probable. The movement of soldiers and resources is… baffling for a colony like Benning" Liara elaborated, uncertain. "It might be nothing".

Shepard hummed as he went through the data on Liara's screen. She was right. The recent deployment of troops and their positioning suggested they were preparing for something, and that something was big and important.

"I'll contact Hackett and ask about this" Shepard decided with a firm nod.

"I think Hackett will not tell you anything of relevance, Shepard" Liara remarked with a wince.

Shepard frowned. "Why?" He wondered.

"He knows there are spies inside the Normandy" Liara shared, remorseful.

Shepard blinked. "So that's why he wants me out of the loop" he mused. "You are right again" he chuckled, patting Liara. "I doubt Hackett will share anything if it can compromise this operation…" he quizzically looked at Liara's computer. "Whatever this operation actually is".

"What are we going to do?" Liara wondered.

"Well, if there is one thing we all know is not to underestimate Cerberus. If this is going to be a New Anjar…" Shepard paused for a moment. He grimaced, thinking about the horrible possibilities. "I rather be there and offer our support if we can".

Liara smiled at him with pride. Something akin to joy glimmered in her sapphire eyes, almost like she was looking at a long lost friend.

"But we'll have to be smart about this" Shepard muttered. "We can't let-"

BEEP. BEEP. BEEP. Shepard blinked as his internal communicator beeped. The Commander looked at an equally mystified Liara for a moment. Dumbfounded, Shepard answered the call.

"Shepard, there is an urgent transmission for you at the War Room" EDI reported.

"I'll be right there" Shepard replied. He turned to Liara. "I trust you can make our little trip happen?"

Liara smirked at him. "Of course, we'll be there and our… guests… will be none the wiser" she replied.

Shepard raised an eyebrow at the asari, who blushed proudly at the used of a human expression. His amusement was cut short as he felt the same tingling feel of before. Confused, he snapped his head. He frowned at Liara's belongings once again. Was it his imagination or was there something… wrong in this room? He shook his head as the feeling receded. He probably hadn't completely recuperated from his crazy time in the Geth Server.

* * *

Shepard walked to the communicator on the small chamber behind the War Room. He was curious to know who could possibly be calling for him. The Normandy wasn't, after all, just any ship. It had to be someone important, someone with contacts. That is to say, someone –

"Shepard"

The Commander froze for a moment, only to sigh, his shoulder slumping. He shook his head, arms folding at the hologram that glowed in front of him.

"Illusive Man" Shepard muttered, glaring at the bastard.

"Good to see up and running" the Illusive Man, smoking one of his thick cigars, said with a devious smile.

"What do you want?" The Commander asked, annoyed.

"Mostly to talk" the man infuriatingly replied. The leader of Cerberus did sober up, though, and gave off a serious vibe. He was not here to taunt Shepard. The Illusive Man meant business. "You are in danger, as it most of your crew. Your old companion Jack has finished her sweep on Gellix's base…" he stared at Shepard with cold, bright eyes "the Reaper artefact is missing".

Shepard frowned as a wave of concern washed over him. He leaned forward, his hands moving on the communication panel as if to hold himself up.

"You mean… it's here?" Shepard rose a hidden eyebrow. "No, my team wouldn't be so foolish to bring an active Reaper artefact to my ship".

"That's part of the crux of the matter" The Illusive Man wearily said. "Apparently, this artefact is… unique. Have you wandered how it managed to slip our attention and Indoctrinate valuable personnel?"

No, he hadn't. Shepard suddenly understood where the Illusive Man was going with all of that.

"From what we've been able to gather, this artefact can actually activate and deactivate itself at will. A very clever trick… and a costly one for me" the Illusive Man scowled. "Stranger yet, it seems to be able to…" here the Illusive Man's eyebrows rose, as if to convey his own disbelief "…change shape".

The two men stood there, transfixed as they stared at each other. Shepard didn't even flinch, taken aback by what the other man had said. The Commander abruptly scrunched his face, perplexed.

"Wait, wait, wait" Shepard shook his head. "This artefact can change shape and Indoctrinate at will? That's ridiculous." However, a part of him was filled with fear. Such a device… the possibilities were terrifying.

"By your posture I can tell that you realize how dangerous this device is" the Illusive Man countered. "The Reapers aren't foolish, Commander. They designed these artefacts for one purpose, and one purpose only…"

"…To infiltrate and Indoctrinate" Shepard whispered softly, his eyes shaking with horror. He snapped his head at the Illusive Man. He suddenly understood. "That's what the Reapers are waiting for! The bastards…" he shook his head, unable to contain the feeling of hopelessness. "There- there could be thousands, no, millions of this artefacts spread across the entire Galaxy! They could win this war without lifting a single finger…"

All this time, Shepard was so afraid just thinking about a direct confrontation with the Reapers that he hadn't considered all the other tricks they could have under their sleeve. Why would they bother? Shepard had always assumed that the Reapers would simply bulldoze over them with their superior might. And yet, the Reapers didn't need to risk themselves when they could easily assume control of their targets…

"Now you understand" the Illusive Man soberly nodded. "And you have one of these artefacts".

"No, that's – that's ridiculous. My team knows better than that" Shepard shook his head. However, he felt it, the doubts, and the fears, running through his mind.

"I suggest you make sure of that" the Illusive Man smirked at the Commander. "I would start with a certain naïve blue-skin…"

"Liara?" Shepard asked, bewildered.

"Oh, by the way, you aren't going to Benning any time now, are you?" The Illusive Man wondered with a grin. Now he was taunting Shepard. "I heard that it's about to have a lot of new room soon".

Shepard was rendered speechless. With wide eyes he started at this – this man, no this monster of this man as he smiled with thoughts of genocide in his head. What had happened to the Illusive Man to become like this?

"Give my boys hell" the Illusive Man huffed with one final amused smirk, before he vanished.

"No! Wait!" Shepard yelled, desperate. But it was no use, the hologram had faded into nothingness. "EDI, connect me with the Illusive Man!" He ordered.

"That won't be possible Shepard" EDI's voice echoed across the room.

Shepard, shocked, stared at the empty space where the Illusive Man's transparent form had spoken. So it was happening… Cerberus was going to attack Benning! How could they do this? He clenched on the projection's console, furious.

Shepard's face turned into a murderous scowl. No, he would stop Cerberus. He would kill every last single one of those bastards, even if it was Thane or Jack! Shepard was done with Cerberus. Those dogs would burn in hell for this!

He paused his inner rage, remembering the little detail about the Reaper device. Could the Illusive Man possibly be lying? No, he was being blatantly obvious about Benning, and Shepard could see the Reapers developing such incredible technology. But how was he supposed to find such artefact that could deactivate and change shape?

He blinked, surprised, as he recalled something he had been told by Garrus. Maybe there was a way… but he would need of Garrus or Ashley.

* * *

Benning was a prosperous colony. One of the nearest garden worlds to Arcturus Station, the world thrived as a source of food to the once growing human population. Benning was no Eden Prime, though, having endured from heavy urbanization in the early days of colonization. It was always assumed that Eden Prime rather idealistic settlement distribution was a direct result of Benning's, as well as other early colonies, poor development. Thus, it was no surprising to see sky-high structures, disorganized buildings and a myriad of granite, concrete and metal houses intertwined into one dismal and ugly city. In other words, Benning was not a pretty sight.

If there was one thing Shepard thought when he laid eyes on Benning's central city, it was how much it reminded him of the bare structures that was Haelstrom. However, his musings were short-lived as he heard the screams of innocent civilians and many fires raging forward. All across the city, there were various hotspots with orange fires and rising towers of pitch black smoke.

"Where the hell is the Alliance?!" James yelled next to the Commander as the two stared across the open shuttle door.

Behind them, Shepard could feel Tali and Garrus agreeing with James on that while Liara morosely looked at the world below. Perhaps he should have brought Javik with them, but that blasted Prothean still refused to accept implants to stop allergies. Still, Shepard could understand where the Prothean was coming from with both the Reapers and Cerberus heavily invested on giving implants to everyone and everything. What the Commander certainly hadn't expected was for Chakwas to actually allow Garrus to the mission and force Nyreen to stay back, again… although one had to admit Cerberus cybernetics had their advantages when it came to healing. At least Ashley would have her and Kal'Reeger for assistance back on the Normandy.

"I have no idea!" Shepard shouted back. He eyed the horrors on the horizon as the shuttle landed. He was at least glad they had come to Benning. "Alright, everyone" he turned to his team "remember our mission: leave no Cerberus soldier alive".

"Don't worry, Shepard" Garrus confidently replied as he checked his sniper rifle. "We'll make them pay".

"Move out!" Shepard exclaimed, jumping off the shuttle and onto Benning's surface.

There were many prefabricated buildings spread across what might have been this structure's rooftops. The disorder and blatant grey that assault Shepard's eyes made it all stand out as an eyesore. Shepard could already imagine the smell of death and destruction clogging his nostrils.

"Leave no survivors" the team heard from afar. They all stiffened, riled up at the familiar sound of the muffled voice of a Cerberus soldier.

Shepard turned to his team and nodded.

Straight ahead, in the centre of what was a mess of prefab structures, was a small contingent of Cerberus troopers. Scattered across the entire place, covered in blood, were dozens of bodies. Civilians of all sizes and ages laid dead. By the looks of it, they had tried to run from their impending doom.

"We are almost clear, sir" Shepard heard from the leader Centurion, a human one this time around. The seven human Assault Troopers around their commanding officer stood by, waiting for new instructions.

Shepard signalled his team to spread out.

The Centurion was suddenly startled, probably from something he was being informed about. "What?" He gasped, turning to his now perplexed troopers. "We've got movement" he muttered "finish them".

Shepard didn't need to wait any longer, he raised his assault rifle and took the first shot. Brain mattered splattered on a nearby wall. As expected, the Cerberus soldiers hastily scrambled to cover. They quickly were answering fire with their Mattock model rifles.

"We've got armed resistance!" Yelled the Centurion, a hand on a side as he hid behind a wall. "Bring reinforcements!"

Garrus stood out from cover on a nearby roof, and made his shot. One less Assault trooper.

"Multiple hostiles!" Cried out the Centurion.

The firefight was not as intense as Shepard had expected but he quickly dismissed it as a result of the element of surprise. The Cerberus operatives were hard-pressed into cover, and Shepard's team had the tactical advantage, having taken positions around the troopers. James activated a grenade and threw it over, hopping on the ground to land exactly on the Centurion's side. Shepard could easily picture a face of shock on the bastard's face as the grenade exploded.

"Cerberus reinforcements!" Liara shouted as she gunned down one of the Assault troopers left.

Indeed, coming from multiple positions, they saw three shuttles with the much hated Cerberus insignia. Their sides hissed open, revealing dozens of Assault Troopers inside. Instead of landing, they stayed high up in the air, with the soldiers inside kneeling or standing as one dangerous wall.

"Take cover!" Shepard shouted.

Just in time, his team scrambled to safety. From the shuttles, the Cerberus troopers started shooting at them, showering them with deadly barrages from their rifles. Once again, Shepard noticed the lack of that strange sound he had heard at the Citadel. Liara and James desperately rushed into the nearest building while Garrus was caught behind an air duct on a roof. Shepard remained behind crates, gritting his teeth in frustration as they found themselves surrounded.

Tali glared at one of the shuttles from the safety of a wall, inside one of the prefabricated buildings. From a window, she had a clear shot to one of the shuttles who seemed more interested in gunning at a pinned down Garrus. She pressed the trigger of her shotgun but did not let go. Instead, she allowed for the mass effect accelerator to build up. When the weapon was starting to shake violently from overexertion and the barrel of her gun glowered a fiery red, the quarian moved out of cover and aimed the gun at the shuttle. Her finger released the trigger. Instead of a simple shot, a massive shinning red orb of destruction shot out straight to the shuttle.

Tali smirked as the Carnage fireball reached its target, gracing Benning's sky with a beautiful explosion of red and orange. Pieces of shuttle fell straight to the ground in flames. Garrus was thoroughly amazed by it, to the point he allowed a foolish moment to trade expressions with the smug quarian below.

"That still counts as one!" Shouted the Turian.

Garrus' musings were short-lived, however, as another shuttle went over him from behind. The turian's eyes widened before he sprinted out of cover, across the roof of one of the prefabricated buildings. A rain of bullets followed him at his heels. Not far from him, James and Liara exchanged determined looks, their backs against a doorframe. He held a grenade on one hand and Liara had a hand of her own ready. The marine activated the grenade and counted.

"Now!" James yelled, moving out of cover to throw the grenade. He shoved it towards the shuttle. As expected, it wasn't enough to reach the vehicle. However, Liara followed after the marine and, with a hand surrounded by a blue energy field, she did a biotic push on the grenade, shooting it off towards the shuttle. For a second time, Benning's skies were graced by the destruction of another shuttle.

The third shuttle touched down over one of the prefabricated buildings, having realized how dangerous the skies were. Taking various positions around the prefabricated buildings, the Cerberus Assault troopers managed to hold their ground as Shepard team regrouped, surrounding the trapped enemies. With the high ground on their side, however, the Cerberus troops had a vast advantage.

Shepard stood with his back pressed against a wall, taking peeks across a window. Whenever he tried, though, one of the troopers would open fire on his position, much to his consternation. Garrus, crouching, hurried onto the other side of the window.

"How many?" Shepard asked his turian friend.

"Twelve" Garrus replied. He leaned to a side, only to recoil back into cover as bullets showered the window.

Shepard frowned as he listened at the shooting outside. Was it him or where the gunshots sounding… different? They certainly didn't have that strange shrill to them that he recalled from the Citadel. Rather, the guns from Cerberus sounded… normal.

"Garrus, keep them distracted" Shepard ordered as he moved away from the window.

"I pray to the spirits that you actually have a plan this time" Garrus retorted. He moved out of cover, sniper rifle at the ready, and took the shot. In an instant, he was back behind cover, bullets clattering against the wall. "That would be eleven left" he proudly added.

Garrus looked around, searching for his human friend, only to notice he had vanished. However, as he glanced at the empty destroyed interior of the building, he was surprised to notice a faint shimmer in the air. The distortion had a human silhouette to it, making the turian snort with amusement.

The Commander, invisible thanks to a cloaking shield, climbed up one of the prefabricated buildings. On a building across the dirty street, Tali, Liara and James tried, in vain, to shoot at the enemies. Sadly, Cerberus was well covered and their position held a great advantage over those below. Shepard took a deep breath, hiding behind a ventilation duck. He had only a pair of seconds of cloaking left. He had to make use of them.

Shepard knelt down, his body facing the roof filled with Cerberus troopers. Unbeknownst to him, his glowing white cybernetics started blurring, radiantly burning into an intimidating bright red. His eyes started shining in a stronger light and his body felt renewed strength flooding into his very being. Shepard didn't notice. He stopped thinking, his mind fixated on the moment, focusing on the task at hand.

The Commander took one deep breath, glaring at Cerberus. Then he sprinted. Had he been more thoughtful, he would have noticed the speed in which he moved. To Tali down below, it was as if something flashed on that building. In any case, the cloaking was disengaged when Shepard reached the border of the building, and jumped. The leap might have been twenty metres long, but to Shepard it was nothing.

To say the Cerberus troopers were surprised might have been an understatement. When a massive, bulky man materializes from thin air and launches himself onto one's position with murderous crimson eyes, one tended to be a little bit more than apprehensive. Shepard, though, didn't give much room for thought. He didn't land. Rather, he arrived with a bone-breaking kick to one of the enemies.

An omni-blade cut through the neck of one of the Cerberus troopers before they all realized they were screwed. They tried to reorganize, but Shepard violently shoved their fallen comrade onto them and proceeded with what could only be described as a violent carnage. He wasn't called the Butcher of Torfan for nothing.

Garrus didn't know what was worse, the screams he was hearing, or seeing Shepard of all people rampaging through a squad of Cerberus soldiers. He marched of his hiding spot, trying hard not to think much about what was going on. By the looks of it, James and Liara didn't have that much discipline in them. Tali seemed somewhat undisturbed, if not a bit saddened.

A Cerberus soldier fell on the ground near them. For a moment, Garrus had thought he was dead. However, the poor soul gasped and looked at the gathered team, desperation on his eyes.

"I- I surrender!" He cried out. He must have broken his feet, or he was bleeding too badly, because he was unable to stand up. Rather, he extended a hand, reaching out for help in what could be described as dismal desperation.

CRASH. The terrified Cerberus trooper snapped his head at the towering nightmare that landed behind him. Across a veil of dust, two glowing red eyes glared down on him.

"P-p-please, I surrender!" The soldier pleaded, trying to crawl back from Shepard.

"Now this is a first" Garrus scoffed.

Shepard stepped forward, a hand moving to the prisoner's neck. As much as he struggled, the Cerberus trooper was unable to shake of the man as he grabbed him and held him up.

"Why?!" Shepard roared.

"URgh – my – urgh" the Cerberus soldier gurgled.

Tali strolled over to Shepard's side, a hand moving onto his shoulder while the other went to rest on the raised arm. She looked at him. "He's of no use to us dead" she stated.

The Cerberus soldier was released from Shepard's grasp. Even with the coughing that follow, he appeared relieved.

"Speak" Shepard ordered with a cold voice at the Cerberus trooper. The prisoner flinched at the tone.

"I – this – this isn't what you think, I swear!" He spluttered.

Shepard growled and tried to step forward, further intimidating their prisoner. Tali, however, held him back. The two traded harsh and cold expressions. Something dark was exchanged, as if they could silently speak to each other through their eyes.

"James" Shepard said with a chilling voice. The marine, in turn, straightened up. "Restrain and watch over him. I want him on our shuttle before the Alliance shows up, understood?"

"Shepard, what are you going to do to him?" Liara suddenly asked, horrified.

"What I must" Shepard bluntly spat, glaring at the shaking prisoner.

"Y-you can't torture me!" He spluttered, terrified. His eyes widened. "Holy shit you are Commander freaking Shepard!"

"They clearly don't make them as before" James huffed.

"Their guns sounded a lot different than I remember" Shepard hummed thoughtfully. Why did that bother him so much? He wasn't sure, but something gnawed on the back of his mind. That small bit of information…

"Steve is on his way. He says the Alliance is already moving in. Should be here in a few minutes" James informed the Commander.

Shepard, though, was distracted with his ruminations. He leaned over and studied the recoiling prisoner better. "He seems scrawnier than the ones we've fought" he pointed.

Intrigued, the Commander reached out to the prisoner's helmet. The Cerberus soldier tried to keep his head away from the approaching hands, but it was a futile effort. As much as he struggled, James held him firm.

"No! Y-you can't!" The man cried out as Shepard struggled to remove his headgear.

There was a faint hiss, and the Commander stepped back, a Cerberus helmet on his hands. Shepard's eyes widened as he stared down at the prisoner's face. He wasn't the only one. Liara and Garrus were equally flabbergasted at what they saw.

A Cerberus helmet fell on the ground with a dull thud.

The prisoner looked at the ground, trying to hide his unblemished light brown face. With sweat over his flushed face and his short hair glistened by sweat, he couldn't have looked any less intimidating. The Commander studied their prisoner, unable to believe this. Where were the cybernetics? Alliance reports had stated that all Cerberus troopers found had them.

"You aren't Cerberus" Shepard realized. In all truth, at the moment, his mind was clogged with confusion. However, as much as he was rendered petrified by the realization, words echoed in his head…

 _Give my boys hell_.

Shepard frowned as the Illusive Man's words. Slowly, his face started to shift with dawning horror. With wide eyes, he turned to his perplexed companions.

"Bring me Cerberus corpses" He ordered. They hesitated, unsure what to make of such command. "Now!" He roared.

Startled, they broke away and went to find Cerberus bodies. Tali stood by the prisoner, her attention split between glaring at their prisoner and looking sympathetically at Shepard. Their captive started sobbing, tears falling down his chocolate eyes.

Garrus was the first to return with a dead Assault Trooper over his shoulder. He shared the Commander's moroseness in all of this. This Assault Trooper, differently to any other Shepard had seen, was a woman, and as Tali proceeded to remove her helmet, the Commander was, once again, thunderstruck. Instead of a nastily scarred face, there was only a smooth East Asian visage. There was not a single sign of any of Cerberus cruel "upgrades".

James came in next, followed by an empty handed Liara. She seemed thoroughly disturbed, and shaken, while James, having removed his helmet, looked unhealthily pale. He brought in another Assault Trooper. This one had skin as dark as the night, and yet not a hint of the illegal Cerberus cybernetics.

"These aren't Cerberus…" Shepard remarked, his heart clenching painfully. "I want some of their guns" he gestured to the fallen faux Cerberus troopers. "We are getting the hell out of here" Shepard decided, turning around. "Before the Alliance arrives".

"Shepard, what do you -?" Liara was asking, only to be interrupted by a three-digit hand on her shoulder. She snapped her head at the owner. Garrus met her gaze and shook her head before the two turned to look at a distancing, forlorn Commander.

Shepard remained standing a few feet away, stiff.

"What the hell is going on?" He swore, glaring at the skies above, filled with rising pillars of smoke.

* * *

 **Author Notes: Another Chapter published... soon, the big reveal will come... very soon, Shepard will discover exactly what Cerberus has been hiding from him... has anyone guessed it? I'm actually heading to a big plot twist - or well, a handful but the others haven't been as foreshadowed as the main one.**

 **Questions of the day: can you guess who's behind the Massacre of Benning? Will Shepard manage to figure out a way to defeat the Reaper on Rannoch? Will there be Peace between the Geth or the Quarians or shall one of them be destroyed? So many possibilities!**

 **By the way, what are your thoughts on Shepard having a polygamous relationship? I have grown to be on the fence on this, since I rather see Shepard stick to one option, but hey, fan-fiction.  
**

 ** **In any case, thoughts? Opinions? Anything you wish that could be added? Anything you'll like to see or hope you don't?****

 **Please, review!**

 **Best Wishes,**

 **The Emerald Commander**


	23. Chapter XI: Shattered Perceptions

**Chapter XI: Shattered Perceptions  
**

Ashley Williams was a woman with a mission. Admittedly, she would have wanted anything else than what Shepard had instructed her to do… but he was the Commander, after all. Moreover, when he tells you to break into Liara's bedroom and make sure the resident asari didn't take any souvenirs from Gellix, like a certain Reaper device, you did as told. Besides, Ashley had been rather curious about Liara since they met again on Mars.

The Liara she had first known had been… well… shy, naïve and awfully cute, to an irksome degree. Ashley hated herself for finding the asari attractive (Gods know how or why) but found a nasty jealous monster clawing within as Shepard fell for Liara. She had tried so hard to get the man's attention… it felt hopeless to see that nothing worked, not when asari just needed to flutter their eyes. Thankfully, Ashley managed (somehow) to stay professional. If not for Liara, she did so for Shepard.

Then Shepard died and it all went to hell. There was a funeral (a stupid political scheme to gain brownie points) and by God had Liara cried. After that day, Ashley felt her jealousy vanish for ever, realizing how petty she had been… or at least, she wanted to believe that. They have all split up and gone their separate ways. In hindsight, Ashley could tell that she had been a bit childish and naïve.

It was strange that a Reaper united them all the first time and it was the Reaper Arrival what brought them back once again. This time, though, things were noticeably different. After all, Liara… Liara had changed. She had this weird switch in her that changed from psychopath to sweet girl that bothered Ashley greatly. Liara was mostly sweet and innocent near the Commander, but cold and calculating whenever he wasn't around. At the very least, the two kind of bonded over Shepard's new relationship with Tali (talk about surprises) but there was something that bothered Ashley about Liara. What had happened to the asari to turn her like that? Had she always been like that?

Ashley shook her head, whistling to herself as she wondered how Shepard and Tali had actually gotten together. She was almost a bit too curious to know if perhaps Quarians, as Shepard said, weren't that different from humans. Tentatively, she glanced at a busy kneeling Kal'Reegar next to her only to look away, blushing. As the woman tried to fight back rather improper mental images, she silently blamed Shepard for such errant thoughts.

"Is anything troubling you, ma'am?" Kal'Reegar asked, prying his gaze from his omni-tool to look up at the female marine.

"Don't mind me. Just thinking about something stupid" she muttered, flustered.

Kal'Reegar tilted his head before resuming his work: trying to slice Liara's door. The bloody thing seemed impervious to any hacking attempts thus far. Ashley, without anything else to do than stare, was unable to avoid looking at Kal once again.

"And it is Ash, not ma'am" She told the quarian.

"Understood, ma'am" Kal'Reegar replied firmly. Ashley narrowed her eyes at the quarian. Was he teasing her?

"Any luck?" Ashley inquired, folding her arms over her chest. She turned her head to the right where a few crewmates stared at them, intrigued, as they ate. "Nothing to see, move along" she huffed.

"Sadly, the Ancestors aren't gracing us with their favour today" Kal'Reegar sighed as he stood up, omni-tool deactivating. "We won't be able to hack through the door". He leaned back, crossing his arms like Ashley.

"Did someone call for a door-opener?"

Ashley turned around as one of the new engineers, Kenneth Donnelly, approached the duo. In his hand, the female marine noticed the large slicer. Behind him, shaking her head with disapproval, was the other new engineer, Gabriella Daniels. If Ahsley hadn't heard wrong, both of them were former Alliance that had joined Shepard early on the fight against the Collectors. Apparently, Shepard had vouched for them and had managed to recruit the pair back.

"EDI told us to bring it here" Gabriella sighed as an explanation.

Kal'Reegar and Ashley stepped aside as a maniacally looking Kenneth walked over to the door, the slicer held like a weapon.

"You don't think this is a bit… extreme?" Gabriella asked, worriedly. "We are breaking into someone's room".

"This is Captain Shepard's ship and if he wants us to break into one of the rooms on his ship, then we'll break into that room" Kal'Reegar declared confidently.

"But why is EDI distracting Legion?" Gabriella wondered, worriedly staring at an overly excited Kenneth who was working on the inactive slicer.

The slicer suddenly burst into life, startling everyone at the Mess hall. Kenneth chuckled with glee. "It's time to see what Liara has got hidden in here" he proclaimed.

"He seems happy" Ashley commented, tilting her head at Gabriella. "A bit too happy" she added.

"Of course he is" Gabriella unceremoniously snorted with a look of disgust. "First time he has been allowed to break into a lady's room".

"Oy, I resent that!" Kenneth exclaimed as he glanced back, slicer already cutting into the door.

"Face it, Kenneth. You were dying to see what was in this room" Gabriella growled.

"I just want to confirm how many posters of Shepard she's got in here" Kenneth, amused, shared with Ashley, who shook her head in disbelief. Kal'Reegar was equally mystified.

"Knowing you, you'll want to check on her underwear" Gabriella huffed.

"Nay, lass. I just want to confirm that asari do wear underwear" was the smug response.

"Pervert" Gabriella grumbled.

There was a loud click and the slicer stopped working. Kenneth grinned as he stepped back. The door remained unmoving for a long moment, without any holographic interface in front. Suddenly, there was a beep and the door swished open. Kenneth made a move to venture forth only for Gabriella to take hold of an ear and pull him out. The admonished man whined all the way back to the elevator as a grumpy Engineer Daniels muttered despondently.

Ashley and Kal'Reegar remained there, transfixed by the odd pair. The Normandy was really a place to see it all.

"Captain Shepard seems to surround himself with odd individuals" Kal'Reegar remarked offhandedly.

"Oh, am I odd to you, Kal?" Ashley teasingly smirked at the quarian as she proceeded to enter into Liara's room.

"Odd? No, but you do stand out" Kal'Reegar said, cautiously walking next to the female marine. "I am more than certain many human males fight for your attention" he added.

Ashley studied the many screens, all deactivated, that lined up on the right wall. Her eyes widened and she whistled at the expensive equipment. She didn't know Liara was loaded… or at least not this loaded.

"Would you look at that? I could watch every Rugby game there's to watch and I might still have screens to spare" she chuckled. She turned to Kal, who studied a computer next to the door. "And no, there's no male – I mean, there's no man - fighting over me…" with a grimace, she added glancing at her armoured body, her gaze imagining the nasty glowing scars beneath "now least of all".

"How come?" Kal'Reegar innocently inquired, tilting his head at her. He was genuinely surprised, to a point that Ashley felt herself blush.

"Unless I date some Cerberus skunk, I think I might not have much of a chance on the dating department… that and I've always had some issues with relationships" Ashley confessed.

Why were they talking about this? She didn't know. She ignored her inner musings, focusing on the task at hand.

 _If I were a smart Reaper device, where would I hide?_ Ashley wondered, looking around. _Where I would be least expected, I guess_ , she mentally replied. _But where is that?_ She inwardly groaned.

The female marine went over some boxes, leaning over them. She had seen the Reaper device on Gellix, but Shepard had told her that it might have changed of shape. That was crazy… but since when hadn't Shepard meddled with crazy before? His life was crazy – no, the galaxy was crazy and Shepard relished on the weird side of everything. As she glanced at Kal'Reegar, she noticed him snapping his head back to the computer that was in front of him. Baffled, Ashley leaned back. Had Kal'Reegar been staring at… no, it couldn't be. Ashley shook her head. Now that was crazy.

"What about you, Kal?" Ashley wondered as she frowned at the room. Was the Reaper device even here? Shepard said it was only to make sure, that he had a hunch… "No women falling for you?"

"When you spend half your time stationed elsewhere, you don't find much time for females to notice you" Kal'Reegar bluntly responded, moving over to the computer in front of the screens. "Besides, when you know you are likely to die as me, you try not to be too attached with anyone".

"Huh? Why would you think that?" Ashley wondered, her attention drawn to the quarian in the room. "You aren't exactly a pushover. I really didn't think quarians could come as tough as you".

"I – ehm – thank you, ma'am" the male stammered, flustered by the praise only to sober up. "However, we can't delude ourselves. I'm a quarian, ma'am. You've seen how easily it is for me to reach critical condition with what you human marines could wave off as a flesh wound" Kal'Reegar sighed, saddened. "The Flotilla marines have a high mortality rate for obvious reasons… and given the state of the galaxy, I doubt I will ever have descendants".

"That's not a way to live" Ashley told the quarian.

"That has been our way of life for generations" Kal'Reegar impassively remarked.

Ashley's eyes widened, speechless. She looked at the quarian marine, who dutifully kept his search on the computers. Ashley's shoulders slumped, feeling awful at the moment. Shaking her head, she turned around to return her focus on Liara's belongings.

It was at that moment that Ashley felt it. She froze, gasping, as a familiar sensation washed over her. Her head snapped at a locked metal box, unable to contain her shock.

"It's here" she whispered, her glowing red eyes filled with disbelief.

* * *

"Argh!" A frightened prisoner screamed as he was thrown out of the shuttle. He landed with a heavy thud on the hard cold floor of the Normandy's hangar.

"Oy, stop whining" James huffed, kicking the fallen impostor.

"I have rights!" The prisoner exclaimed, brown eyes turning to the overly muscular man.

"Rights are a two-way street" Shepard growled as he filed out of the shuttle. "You want them, you respect them".

The rest of the team walked out, weary after the day's events. Waiting at the hangar were none other than Jacob and Nyreen. They both seemed rather amused at their prisoner. Said man quickly found himself surrounded by a group of hardened soldiers.

"What do we have here?" Jacob sardonically asked aloud, drawing the prisoner's attention.

"A murderer and a traitor" Garrus growled at the quivering kneeling man.

"James, take our guest to the room under engineer" Shepard told the bulky marine. "Garrus, you up for some rough interrogations?"

"Always" the turian darkly chuckled.

"Jacob" Shepard called, shoving a gun at the man. The dark-skinned man caught the gun and, confused, studied it for a moment. "Get me this gun's registry, modifications and history".

Jacob nodded at the Commander, determined.

"The rest of you are dismissed. We'll have a meeting at the conference room in two hours, understood?" Shepard ordered.

"Aye, aye" they chorused.

"Good, Liara, Tali, and Garrus you are with me" Shepard finished, turning around and towards the elevator.

"Where are we going?" Tali wondered, baffled.

"We aren't going to torture our prisoner, are we?" Liara asked with a grimace.

"No, there's something we need to handle first" Shepard told the following trio, much to their confusion.

As it so happened, the Commander wished to discuss something at the War Room. They wouldn't be alone, however, for there were already people waiting for them in there. They walked into Ashley and Kal'Reegar having a friendly chat as they comfortably sat on the steps that led to the Communication Room. The two marines immediately stood up in full attention. EDI was already on her feet, like a silent sentinel faded in a veil of shadows, behind them.

"What's going on?" Liara wondered, bewildered. She worriedly eyed the Commander.

"You tell me, Liara" Shepard demanded soberly, arms folded over his chest. He looked at the asari with a warning glint in his eyes. "Any secrets you wish to share with me?"

Garrus and Tali stared at the asari, who squirmed under the Commander's intimidating gaze. She remained quiet, though.

"Liara, you can come clean now and I'll let it pass, or you can keep quiet and I'll get pissed off" Shepard coldly declared, narrowing his eyes at Liara.

The Shadow Broker scowled, glancing angrily at Tali for a moment only to stare at her feet. Thankfully, her face softened with resignation and she sighed, only to breathe in the courage she would need.

"This is about the Reaper device" Liara slowly said. It was not a question.

"What in God's name drove you to bring that thing to my ship?" Shepard asked, struggling to understand.

"Wait, you brought the device here?" Garrus asked, shocked.

"We couldn't abandon it" Liara declared. "If we left it behind it would have fallen on the hands Cerberus. That would have had terrible repercussions!"

"But why did you keep it a secret? Jesus Christ, Liara, what possessed you to keep quiet about it?" Shepard exclaimed, disbelieving.

"I thought the device presented a unique opportunity" Liara confessed. "If we studied it -"

"Scientists would get Indoctrinated, and that is in the best case scenario. Military leaders, politicians… the device could get from hand to hand without anyone knowing" Shepard interrupted. "Liara, what you did was foolish and you could have risked everything. Why didn't you tell Garrus?"

"Because…" Liara sighed, frustrated. "Because I knew that he would demand we dispose of it. But we can't Shepard. You saw Cerberus, Shepard! They are technologically ahead of us, and the Reapers are further beyond that! If we don't do anything, this war might already be lost". She closed her eyes, placing a palm on her forehead only to turn to Shepard, aggravated. "You yourself told the Illusive Man that there could be thousands of these devices out there. How are we supposed to counter them if we don't understand them?"

Shepard had to admit that was a good argument, to some degree. It did irk him that Liara seemed rather aware of everything going on in the ship. Regardless, she might have had good intentions, but her actions could have proven far too disastrous.

"You understand the risks of studying a Reaper device? This thing can change shape and fake inactivation" Shepard remarked, weary. "You could have gotten us all Indoctrinated!"

"There are shielding technologies that can block the Indoctrination signal, Shepard. Besides, we are already aware of its capabilities. It can't fool us" Liara huffed.

"Don't underestimate the Reapers. For all we know, the device could start moving on its own, or worse, serve as a beacon signal for Reapers themselves" Shepard grunted. He was grimly reminded of the Collector attack on the Normandy, led by a Reaper IFF. He closed his eyes, shaking his head. "I've respected your privacy, Liara, and even looked the other way when I knew that you had the entire ship bugged… but I can't let this transgression pass. You could have endangered us all".

"W-what are you going to do?" Liara asked, with wide eyes.

"You are going to reconnect your room to EDI and I forbid you from ever attempting to change her data-logs" Shepard ordered.

"But – but, Shepard…" Liara protested.

"No excuses" the Commander grunted. "Liara, I mean it. I am reaching a point where I feel I shouldn't trust anyone! Everyone is keeping their dirty secrets I'm somehow supposed to fix and just keep piling the nastiest of surprises for me to find. I'm bloody tired of this conspiracies, of these schemes riddled my every waking hour. You knew this and didn't care".

"I was doing this for the Alliance, for my people and for everyone in the Galaxy" Liara boldly said, standing tall against the imperious Commander.

"The path to hell is paved with good intentions, Liara" Shepard muttered. "The Reapers are not a force to be reckoned with, let alone underestimated. Don't you ever think you have any piece of their technology under control, or else…" his tone softened, as he sighed tiredly "you will doom us all".

Liara scrunched her face with shame, looking down at her feet. Shepard took a deep breath, feeling emotionally exhausted. Just when he thought he could trust Liara with anything, this happens. Just great…

"Look, I can understand why you did it, Liara, but next time, at least give someone a heads up. There are other people that might suffer from your consequences, people under my command and who are my responsibility" Shepard softly told her, soothingly placing a hand on her shoulder.

"I'm sorry" Liara mumbled.

Shepard shook his head, despondent. Why did it have to come to this? When had his closest friends started to keep such dangerous secrets for him? Was it because of how lenient he tended to be on them? He wasn't sure, but it bothered him to no end.

"Alright then" Shepard decided, taking a deep breath. "You are dismissed… I've got a prisoner to interrogate" he concluded, nodding at an eager Garrus.

* * *

The Commander really didn't know how he was supposed to address the situation. Here he was, on Jack's old room (if you could call it that) staring at a shaken trooper. The prisoner was tied to a pipe, forced to remain seated against the far wall, despondently enwrapped by thoughts of his current predicament. Shepard could actually imagine what the young man was going through.

That was one thing that bothered Shepard: how young he looked. This man could have barely been a Corporal in the Alliance, so why was he there, on Benning, shooting down innocent civilians? What could have caused such evil to be unleashed? The Commander didn't know, but he knew he had to figure it out, as much as he dreaded to dig deeper into the gathering darkness.

It was with such lingering thoughts that the Commander hummed, startling the prisoner and drawing the man's attention.

"Are you going to do something or stare at me?" The prisoner, half annoyed, half scared out of his wits, huffed. With comical bravado, he added "I can't believe you are actually THE Commander Shepard".

The Commander felt Garrus glance at him. The turian wasn't impatient, standing leisurely against a wall behind the seated Commander. He most probably had his own thoughts to deal with.

"What's your name?" Shepard suddenly inquired.

The prisoner opened his mouth, taken aback, only to shut it up. He scrunched his face with painful defiance.

"You aren't going to answer?" Shepard hummed, amused. The prisoner shook his head, sweating profusely. The Commander leaned forward, shining white eyes staring into quivering brown ones. "Very well, have it your way. Could you at least tell us why you were killing innocents? Why were you dressed in Cerberus armour?"

The prisoner licked his lips and immediately jumped into an explanation. "It- we were just proving ourselves to Cerberus. I- I have family out there, man… and Cerberus was promising a lot of good stuff to those who joined. Thing is… they told us to come to Benning and kill people, y'know? We aren't sure why" the nameless prisoner said.

Shepard and Garrus exchanged sceptic expressions through their visors. In unison, they turned their heads to their victim.

"I say we skip the whole interrogation, Shepard" Garrus stated, hands moving to his helmet. "Let's just -" his helmet hissed as it was taken out "- implant him with the cybernetics and be done with it". With glowing red eyes and half his face with very visible burning scarlet cybernetics, Garrus smirked at the Prisoner, who looked like he was hyperventilating.

"Y-you are Cerberus!" Cried the prisoner, terrified. He started to struggle as Garrus gave one step forward. "Stay away from me! No! Don't touch me!"

Garrus response was for his turian smirk to become more pronounced and his gaze to turn almost predatory.

"Don't worry, lad. It is rather fast – most of the time. It can go awfully wrong, like it did with my friend here. You see, the cybernetics start slow in your neck and start growing like a tree and, well, sometimes they don't grow right and take off half your face" Shepard said with a nod, folding his arms. His tone was absolutely detached to the situation, like he was talking about the weather. "Regardless, by the end, you will be a proud soldier for Cerberus".

Garrus gave a step towards the prisoner. It only helped to break the young man into a full-blown panic. He franticly shook and struggled against his restraints in a strange futile and frantic display of desperation.

"It hurts a bit" Garrus commented offhandedly. "I mean, when the implants start burning through your flesh you might feel it for a moment… but then it all goes numb when the thicker tubes start growing into your bones".

"Yes, especially when the implants start crawling into your brain" Shepard agreed with a careless shrug. He chuckled for a moment "actually, I know this one guy whose cybernetic implants popped out of one cheek. He looked like he had an octopus growing from inside his mouth."

The young man was starting to cry as Garrus got, gradually, closer to him. He had stopped fighting, and was trying hard not to lose himself in utter horror. With wide scared eyes he stared at the approaching turian as if he was witnessing the Grim Reaper itself.

"Wait, Garrus, he might know something useful" Shepard told the turian. "We wouldn't want to destroy his personality and entire being just yet". The prisoner released a low terrified squeal. "I mean, with all the pain the implants imply, he could easily die".

"It's pointless" Garrus muttered, glancing at the prisoner. "Let's just stick the implants in him and throw him with the rest. He clearly knows nothing". He shrugs. "If he dies… who cares, right?"

"Just tell him what you" Shepard sighed despondently, shaking his head, as he addressed the nameless man. "He has been eager to stick implants into people since the last guy went all wrong. A pity his head blew up but – hey – he didn't speak at all. Brave man, actually, and really smart, maybe we would have kept him to exchange prisoners with the Alliance".

Garrus was towering over the sobbing prisoner, whose face was wet with tears. The turian, though, sardonically and gleefully stared down at the shaken captive.

"Where should I start?" Garrus dramatically hummed. "The neck? Maybe the stomach…" He carelessly shrugged. "I'll go for both" as he pressed something on one hand, revealing one of his razor sharp talons. "I can always keep trying until I get it right…"

By this point, the prisoner was so pale he might have been sun-forsaken Caucasian. His eyes weren't shaking, they were almost struggling to jump out of their sockets. Slowly, as if tasting the man's fear, the revealed sharp claw started approaching the prisoner's head.

"Wait!" Screamed the prisoner. "Stop! I'll talk! I'll talk! Just – just don't stick anything in me!"

Garrus retracted his hand, turning to Shepard. They traded nods, ignoring the whimpers of the captive.

"M-my name is Bilal Osoba…" the soldier mumbled. "And- and…" he sniffed "I am a soldier of the Alliance…"

Garrus snapped his head at Shepard, shocked. The Commander, much to the turian's confusion, didn't visibly react. Instead, Shepard remained calm and collected, if not pensive. He merely sat there, over a spare crate, owlishly staring at the young man.

"Why?" The Commander asked, without a hint of emotion in his voice. "Why would the Alliance launch such attack on one of their own colonies?"

Bilal, riddled with remorse, looked at his feet. All fear was gone, replaced by crashing guilt.

"We didn't have a choice…" Bilal mumbled. "There was a growing movement of separatists on Benning, crazy people who thought that the Alliance is a sinking ship. They were crazy alright but…" Bilal closed his eyes, stifling his tears. "They were pretty convincing. Most folks don't know this but… Benning's government has been considering a referendum to leave the Alliance. Intelligence didn't have much optimism about the possible result. We couldn't let that happen!"

"So you dressed as Cerberus Assault Troopers and went to their neighbourhoods… to kill the Insurrectionists" Shepard summarized with coldness embedded in his words. "That way, people would blame Cerberus and reconsider. In one move, the Alliance's reputation would be boosted while Cerberus would suffer the brunt of people's anger".

Bilal quietly hung his head, ashamed.

"Why did you go ahead with this?" Shepard queried, shifting in his seat.

"We couldn't do nothing" Bilal ruefully answered. "It was like on New Anjar… if Benning left the Alliance, then other colonies would follow". Shepard shook his head, saddened to hear the truth on the first massacre.

"I don't see why Benning would actually leave" Garrus hummed.

"You kidding?" The prisoner scoffed. "Since the fall of Earth the Alliance has been asking for a lot to people, especially the colonies" Bilal muttered. With bitterness, he added "most of those ungrateful bastards… we swear to die for them and they piss off when we ask for them to pull their own weight". He glared at Shepard "it doesn't help Cerberus has been sticking all sorts of propaganda on our worlds. Intelligence told us that Cerberus was even bribing lots of people, especially politicians".

"Who organized this?" Shepard queried, squinting at the prisoner.

The young man grimaced, his gaze lowering to the floor. For a moment, he looked constipated only to rise his eyes to meet Shepard's.

* * *

"All that Bilal knows is that it was an Admiral" Shepard finished saying.

Everyone in the conference room stared at their Commander with different emotions. James looked like he had been punched in the gut, holding himself up with one arm on the wall. Liara seemed just as horrified by the debriefing. Steve and Samantha, once again on a far corner, were utterly distraught. Garrus and Nyreen hadn't appeared to react, standing straight, but Shepard knew they were unnerved. Jacob glared at the table, ceaselessly shaking his head with undying denial.

Ashley was petrified, staring at Shepard with utmost disbelief, as Kal'Reegar rested a comforting hand on her shoulder. She took hold of it, as if to anchor herself in reality. Tali wringed her hands worriedly, looking at Shepard with concern. Javik, though, was as stoic as ever. With Legion it was at least understandable, he was unable to feel anything. EDI didn't show any emotions either, standing on Shepard's right and next to the glass wall.

" _Mierda_ " James swore " _todo se fue al carajo_!"

"Unfortunately, as much as I hate to say it" Shepard sighed, reluctant "the Alliance is responsible for the Massacre of Benning". He turned to EDI "what's the latest casualty report?"

"Official Alliance Channels claim that fifty one thousand civilians have lost their lives today" EDI stated. "There are many people unaccounted for across the Capital".

"Shit" Jacob cussed.

"The Alliance is taking credit for eradicating a total of three thousand Cerberus troopers and have officially put the blame on the local government for its strong push to keep the Alliance's presence to a minimum in the planet" EDI kept reporting. "Last minute polls show that 86% of the population condemn Cerberus for the attack and believe that future Alliance presence is justified… from the remaining percentage, 13% believe that Cerberus is to blame but the Alliance's presence on Benning should remain limited".

"And just like that, the herd flock to their masters" Ashley muttered. "Shepard, we must tell everyone".

"What? No!" Liara gasped "this could destroy the Alliance for good! I do not condone what happened here, but this could tear the Alliance into pieces for Cerberus to take over. We can't allow that to happen."

"Irrelevant" Legion stepped in, startling everyone in the room. They all turned their heads at him, surprised by the Geth's participation. The synthetic being, in turn, stared at Shepard. "There is no strong evidence to support the Alliance's involvement".

"Legion is right" Shepard grumbling, nodding at the Geth. "Even if we told anyone, why would they believe us?"

"You are Commander Shepard. People ought to hear you out" Ashley proclaimed.

"Ash, look at me. To most folk out there I am part of Cerberus. I go out there and tell them that the Alliance has been massacring their own people, and I'll pretty much be officially branded a traitor" the Commander rebutted. "Besides, we would gain nothing. The Alliance can easily brush this under the rug and get away with it".

"What about the rifle, Jacob?" Garrus asked the dark-skinned man. "Isn't there anything of use?"

"There isn't much to say. The registry has been adulterated, and it doesn't have any mods – clearly not Cerberus… but it doesn't exactly scream 'Alliance' either" Jacob shook his head. "The Alliance can get away with it. It has in the past and it will do it again".

"According to our prisoner it was one of the admirals… I doubt it was Hackett. He would never approve of one of his peers planning such horrific slaughters" Tali suggested.

"I'm not so sure" Shepard sighed. "The Alliance is kind of stuck in a hard situation… the kind that can push any man to make…" he paused, grimacing "mistakes".

"It was a clever plan" Javik spat. "I commend the Alliance for doing what it had to be done".

"Says the fossil" Ashley growled at the Prothean.

Javik didn't appear the least bothered by the insult or tone of the woman. He sneered at Ashley as only a Prothean could (meaning only Shepard could tell what that stiff smile was) and turned to her with an air of contempt.

"Your weak ideologies and ideals is what is fracturing the Alliance. If your people were less self-centred and understood their place in the Cosmic Imperative, the Alliance would have been able to crash Cerberus" Javik coldly retorted. He tilted his head, intending to offend the female marine. "Your people are so weak you need to stick machines in you".

"Because you've been doing so great, haven't you?" Ashley scoffed. "You've been suffering how many allergic reactions now?" She triumphantly smirked.

Javik sneered at the female marine, once again. "It is not my fault that you insist on crowding so many different species without any… civilised protocols" he spat.

"Now is not the time to be on each other's throats" Shepard sighed, interrupting the two. He leaned forwards, knuckles resting on the conference table. "We've got our priority mission: liberate Rannoch from the Geth. While I wish we could correct the wrongs done today… we need to pick our battles".

"We can't just let this pass!" Ashley exclaimed, outraged.

Kal'Reegar managed to calm her down a bit by placing a hand on her shoulder, but her ill mood persisted. The two locked gazes, silently communicating with each other. Ashley sighed, resigned, as she looked away.

"We already have a lot on our plates. Thing is, Rannoch is much more urgent. Quarians have kept me up to date with the situation on Rannoch, and what they are showing me isn't pretty. The Reapers are mass producing Geth like crazy and fortifying key positions all across the planet, including Diniel's. If we don't act soon, we might never have another chance" Shepard told the female marine. "When we've dealt with this, Ashley, I promise you, we will bring whoever was behind this to justice. Until then, we will prioritize the Geth's liberation".

Ashley grumbled under her breath, but nodded nonetheless.

"I don't see what we can do, Loco" James soberly told the Commander.

"James is right" Garrus nodded at Shepard. "There is no way in which we could do anything, not without an army and fleet of our own".

"The Quarians would gladly give their lives for this" Kal'Reegar declared, his chest puffed up.

"Don't be ridiculous, Kal" Ashley huffed next to the male quarian. "You wouldn't stand a chance on your own. It would be slaughter".

"Ashley isn't exactly wrong, Kal" Shepard remarked. "Quarians might have strong fleet, but it won't be enough, and we also need of a strong enough ground army if we are to siege Diniel's position".

"And even then…" Samantha timidly chimed in "we would need to expose Diniel, or draw him out of his hiding place".

"There must be something that can be done" Tali pleaded, shaking her head despondently.

"We'll find a way" Shepard promised, placing a comforting hand on the female quarian's shoulder. He looked at his colleagues. "Until we come up with a plan to execute, we'll prepare as we can. We'll start having training exercises, both in combat and teamwork". He leaned back, standing up straight and hands moving behind him. "If we can, I might start training you all. With any luck…" Shepard released a wistful sigh "I'll make N7s out of you".

* * *

Everything felt… weird. That was the only way Tali could describe the eerie feeling that pervaded the air. At one point, the Normandy had been like a haven to Tali, somewhere she could not only feel safe, but where she knew nothing could go wrong. Was it childish? Perhaps. Then again, the galaxy was too dark a place to live in without a place to go back. Sadly, something had changed…

The young quarian calmly walked past the Conference room, where they had talked for a long time merely two hours prior. It was now empty, everyone having gone their own ways to do who knows what. James was probably working out, with Steve going over his beloved shuttle for the umpteenth time. Jacob had decided to take residence with them, busying himself with cleaning guns and going over inventory, monopolizing the role of Quartermaster once again. Samantha was probably visiting Diana Allers while Javik went to brood to his lair. Nyreen and Garrus returned to the main gun (Turians… can't sleep easy without a massive gun nearby, right?) and Liara was back at spying and scheming.

As Tali walked into the War Room, he paused, deciding to stand by the door for a moment. She shyly stepped in, studying the chamber inside. The projector was activated, revealing the amazingly accurate and detailed 3D image of Diniel's hiding place and surrounding area, with AA guns and Geth emplacements. The hologram was the only source of light, bathing the room under a blue penumbra. Tali gave another step forward, curiously searching for Shepard with his gaze. It didn't take long to find him.

The Commander sat on the steps that led to the Communication Room, staring at the hologram like a predator to its prey. At the moment, Tali was sure that Shepard wasn't really watching anything, lost in a world with his own thoughts. She couldn't blame the man, who after so much had happened had a lot to ponder.

"Shepard?" Tali called.

Broken out of his ruminations, Shepard blinked a couple of times before looking at Tali, surprise glowing in his eyes. The quarian smiled behind her shaded visor as she approached the man.

"Tali" he mumbled, as if still surprised. He shook his head, trying to dispel his confusion.

The quarian gently sat next to Shepard, her gaze shifting towards the hologram. "Still thinking about it?" She wondered.

Shepard sighed, morosely shaking his head. "Yes and no" he cryptically replied.

"You are still thinking about Liara, aren't you?" Tali soberly guessed, before adding, her eyes on Shepard "and Benning".

"You can say I have a lot on my mind right now" Shepard grumbled, looking at his feet. At the moment, he both looked and sounded exhausted. "So much has happened…"

"And there is so much yet to happen" Tali grimly nodded, a three-digit hand snaking its way towards a hand of his. She softly took hold of it, before giving an encouraging squeeze.

Shepard gave a hidden wan smile at the quarian, they gazes meeting for a brief intimate moment, before he looked away. He stood up, moving over to the projector, while a worried quarian followed him with her eyes.

"The line is getting rather blurry, Tali" Shepard sighed, shoulders slumping as he stared at the hologram, his back facing the quarian. "It's getting harder and harder to distinguish friend from foe… and everything is always a lot more complicated than what it seems…" he glanced at Tali "have I always been this blind?"

"You were always a soldier, Shepard" Tali replied. "You were trained to trust the wisdom of your leaders and act accordingly. The world of politics, on the other hand…"

"Has the Alliance always been this… broken?" Shepard whispered. "Has there been so many webs of deceit woven across the Galaxy?"

"Evil thrives were good people fall complacent… and people have been too complacent for centuries" Tali muttered. "Just look at the power held by the Council alone, how anti-democratic it is. Moreover… you've always been sceptical of the Alliance. True, you always were loyal to it… but you didn't exactly hesitate that much to work with Cerberus, and for good reason. The Illusive Man, in hindsight, knew how much you hated the red-tape, even when you respected it to the smallest letter".

"I think that… as much as I hate to admit it… I've always agreed with the Illusive Man" Shepard sighed bitterly at the admission. "The Alliance has always been a bureaucratic blunder conceived by a mixture of idealistic morons and power hungry politicians, backed up by an idiotic population that couldn't care less about anything… and the Council isn't any better".

He closed his eyes, saddened. "But I never expected this. Massacring our own people? I thought that was something only Cerberus would do… I was wrong" He shook his head, turning to Tali as he folded his arms over his chest and leaned back on the projector. "Don't get me wrong, I fully understand why it might have been necessary. However, Benning and New Anjar are simply the symptom of a problem. Unless the Alliance sets a new course, it will only get worse…"

"Cerberus looks more appealing by the day, doesn't it?" Tali hummed.

Shepard chuckled, grinning at the quarian. "I wouldn't go that far" he chuckled. "But yes, at least the Illusive Man does appear to know what he is doing".

"What do you think about Liara?" Tali suddenly asked, tilting her head.

"You mean this whole debacle with the Reaper device?" Shepard blinked at her. "I don't really know…" he confessed. "A part of me isn't really that surprised - hell, I am pretty numb to most surprises these days. She's been very secretive and reserved since – since my death. I should have seen this coming. At the same time… she's been really open and supportive with me". He suddenly scoffed, remembering "she would have been a lot more supportive and open if it wasn't for EDI. That's one hell of a territorial AI".

"What do you mean?" Tali inquired, frowning.

"She might have kissed me in front of Liara to shoo her away" Shepard rolled his eyes at the memory. "I sometimes get the impression EDI doesn't like Liara".

"You haven't noticed?" Tali giggled. "EDI calls her Dr T'soni for a reason".

Shepard disapprovingly shook her head. Actually, he had noticed but never put much thought into it. It sounded a bit petty for an AI, after all.

"What a mess" Shepard muttered, turning back to the hologram. "An Alliance Admiral orchestrated one of the largest human genocides of recent history to keep the Alliance in one piece… and we've got blasted Reapers breathing down our necks. We are fortunate they are being so patient or else we would have already lost. To make matters worse, there's the Geth…"

"What about them?" Tali asked as she went to stand next to Shepard.

"From all the memories I got from Shannae's server, I – I found that there was something… amiss. It wasn't like you said, Tali, or at least, not the way you think" Shepard explained as Tali looked at him, bewildered. "According to what you told me, the Geth rebelled after your government tried to shut them all down… well, it did go like that but – there was more. I'm still trying to understand fully what I saw… but most of the memories were scrambled, not in chronological order. Somewhere, at some point, something went terribly wrong with the Geth Tali".

"Yes…" Tali nodded, confused. She tilted her head. "That's what I told you. At one point of our history, the Geth gained a primitive level of sentiency that scared our government".

"That's… not what scared your government, Tali" Shepard retold, staring into her eyes. "Your mechanists discovered that the Geth had been corrupted".

"Corrupted?" Tali blinked at Shepard. She started shaking her head, disbelieving. "No, how – what do you mean by that?"

"Your Ancestors, Tali, created this prime code of sorts called the Primordial Code. If I am not wrong, it basically made sure the Geth could never be used for violence against other Quarians and that the Geth never attained any level of sentiency" Shepard explained. "Call it a fail-safe".

"But then how -?" Tali frowned, only to look at Shepard, baffled. "Yes, I know what you are talking about… but we have always been told that it was caused by upgrades we made onto them. In our own arrogance, we ignored the wisdom and work of our ancestors and undid it".

"That's the thing, Tali" Shepard told the quarian, his hands holding her arms as if to hold her up. "Something else corrupted the Primordial Code… or rather, someone".

"Someone? But… who?" Tali mumbled, thunderstruck. "Th-that's impossible! Only we understood the Geth enough to apply modifications. Moreover, modifying the Geth was extremely restricted and controlled. Not even the Salarians were capable of understanding our programming. Who could have done such a stupid thing? Our government? Extremists? Was it an accident?"

"No, but that's what I don't understand. Who could have done it? More importantly, though, why? The government wasn't behind it. It was like… a disease that spread across the Geth through the Collective" Shepard queried.

The Commander closed his eyes, delving deep in his mind. Amidst the darkness he could remember, as if it was part of his own life, the many instances in which he had witnessed confused mechanists, worried overseers, terrified owners and so forth, all witnessing a change that wasn't supposed to be. True, it might have been an error… but Shepard knew deep down there was more… there was always more to it than he could learn. The underlying truth, though, was daunting.

"The Geth were our own mistake" Tali sighed, shaking her head. The Commander grimly eyed the young woman, sympathizing what she probably was going through. He knew she was in denial, unwilling to consider that perhaps her people, all in all, were victims of someone else' crimes.

"Tali…" Shepard soothingly whispered, an arm embracing her form. She kept staring at the projector's console, lost in her own thoughts and fears.

"There must be a way we can - can confirm this" Tali spluttered, looking at the man.

Through wide, trembling glowing eyes, she bore her soul for him to witness, exposed and vulnerable. She was terrified, her hands shaking as Shepard held her. For the first time in her life, Tali was facing the horrifying prospect of having to imagine her people's plight as more of a self-inflicted curse but rather something much more sinister.

"I wish there was" Shepard sighed, hugging her.

Tali remained silent in his arms, softly breathing as the love of her life kept her in a warm and protective embrace. With the quarian woman's head on the nook of his neck, Shepard eyed the defiant hologram, still in its blue glory, taunting him. He had yet to figure out a way in which he could liberate Rannoch from the Reapers, as much for the Geth as for the Quarians… and at the same time, he had to discover this ancient tragedy that led to the Morning War.

"I'll return to engineering" Tali said wearily, stepping back, her eyes downcast. "There's still a few things to look over" she added as she looked up. Their eyes met.

"You do that" Shepard softly replied. "I'll stay here for a moment and see if I come up with something".

Tali gently shook her head, a hand moving over the Commander's chest. She seemed reluctant to leave and, if Shepard wasn't reading her wrong, hesitant to leave him working on his own. However, she must have known he wanted to be alone, to think, because she looked at him as if searching for confirmation. Shepard nodded at her and, with her eyes still shining with sadness, nodded back, understanding. Shepard was not about to be swayed: he would find a way to liberate Rannoch.

"Don't stay here for too long, please" Tali begged.

They tenderly bumped the forehead of their helmets together, staying there as if stuck for a long moment. It was with a hidden smile shared between them that they detached from each other. In the end, she walked away, glancing at him, while Shepard, arms folded, followed her with his eyes. Once Tali had left, Shepard sighed, leaning back on the projector's console.

 _How am I supposed to liberate Rannoch?_ Shepard asked himself. He stared at Diniel's hiding place, beneath massive blast doors. _I can't risk trying to open the blast doors, and I know nothing will lure a Reaper out… I just can't get the blasted Reaper out in the open…_ The Commander hummed. Maybe he should consider other options.

Diniel was bound to prefer staying hidden. Why would he bother? He had thousands of minions under his will and superiority in numbers and technology. Shepard was also sure that the blast doors were nuclear-proof, at the very least. There was no way of exposing the Reaper or drawing him out. The more Shepard thought about it, the more frustrated he grew.

Time passed and Shepard played over and over the possibilities. Every now and then he would groan, frustrated, before going over old missions, both his and of other N7s, in search for similar situations. There came a point in which Shepard went over ancient human history to see if there had been such a scenario before.

 _Maybe I'm looking at this all wrong_ , the man told himself. _What if..._ he tilted his head, considering. He stared at the hologram as his mind went over the new possibility. _It could work… Yes, it could work!_

Shepard grinned. He had it, he had a plan to do this! His smile was short-lived as the implications settled. He couldn't do it, not with his current team. He was going to need to expand… recruit even. He would also have to discuss the feasibility of the plan with the quarians.

Wearily, he checked the time. With a scoff, he swore under his breath, realizing he had been two hours planning. At least, they hadn't been in vain. Hopefully, everything could be prepared as soon as possible. He was wondering what he should do next when EDI's voice ominously flooded the War Room.

"John, the Illusive Man wishes to speak with you"

The Commander froze. His head slowly turned to the communication room. Shepard bitterly gritted his teeth, reminded that he had at least one spy to deal with. Oddly enough, Liara hadn't been able to catch him or her, and she had pretty much filled the Normandy with bugs.

At first, Shepard had suspected EDI. It made sense, the Illusive Man could have installed secret programs and codes that would remain hidden until he needed something. However, no matter how many times Tali, Liara, Garrus or even Shepard checked on the AI Room, her programs were clean. It was possible someone was hijacking EDI somehow like Liara did whenever she went around on her bugging spree, but that left Shepard back to square one: with people inside his ship acting as agents for Cerberus.

There could actually be many bugs around him, reporting to the Illusive Man. Shepard glared at his surroundings, shuddering. How long now? How much did the Illusive Man know? The Commander sighed, resigned. This was his life now, spied, betrayed, tricked and used. Worse yet was knowing that perhaps his life had always been like this but only now he was aware of it all.

Reluctantly, Shepard walked into the Communication Room. He licked his lips, uncertain. He knew what to expect, but at the same time, Shepard could never tell for sure. The Illusive Man was, after all, irritatingly clever. No sooner had he stepped into the secluded room, the projector lit up.

"Shepard" the Illusive Man greeted. He did not smile, nor did he frown. Rather, he seemed… placid. One could say the leader of Cerberus was respectful.

"Illusive Man" the Commander replied with a firm nod.

The two remained staring at each other, one covered in thick armour, the other wearing an expensive Tuxedo, his chest bare thanks to a pair of loose buttons. Synthetic blue eyes met white ones, no emotion shown or exchanged. It was impossible to tell what the other was thinking or feeling. At the moment though, Shepard was not interested in that, and neither was the Illusive Man. It was almost like playing chess, strategies and tactics flashing across their minds as they carefully calculated their next move.

"So you were not behind Benning… or New Anjar" Shepard stated as he broke the silence, averting the other man's gaze.

"I apologize for disappointing you, Commander" the Illusive Man replied with sincerity as he took a mouthful from his cigar. Leisurely, he exhaled a stream of smoke, his eyes mesmerized by the faint greyish cloud before focusing back on Shepard. "You will be glad to know I am not here to taunt your misconceptions and presumptions concerning Cerberus. Rather, I think we both needed a moment to talk".

As if to make a point, the man sat down on a comfy chair. Shepard narrowed his eyes at the Illusive Man. What could he possibly want to discuss?

"Alright, what do you want to talk about?" Shepard reluctantly queried.

"Rannoch" the Illusive Man stated. The Commander felt himself go stiff at the mention of the planet. The Illusive Man took hold of a glass of whiskey that had been waiting for him by the chair, only to stare at it for a moment. "Or rather…" he looked at Shepard "the Quarians".

"You mean your good business partners" Shepard grunted, refraining from pouring more anger into his voice.

"And here I thought you would be glad to know that I helped them" the Illusive Man sighed. "Isn't that what you would have wanted of me?"

Shepard swallowed a hard lump. Reluctantly, the Commander couldn't deny that in all truth Shepard had always wanted the Illusive Man to be more open and less human-centric. True, to Shepard that meant being less self-sufficient and more supportive of the Alliance.

"All I asked was for their service, and in return they earned their due" the Illusive Man hummed before taking a sip from his glass. He smiled, pleased by the taste of the liquid as it coursed down his throat. "I must admit, I feel foolish for not having made use of such opportunity before. In any case, I thank you for your wisdom, Commander". The man smirked at Shepard rising his glass at the Commander.

"What do you want?" Shepard groaned, annoyed.

"I wish to offer my assistance on Rannoch, Commander" the Illusive Man said with sincere concern. "I have fleets and men at the ready in case you need them, not to mention many of my finest operatives prepared. They are yours if you need them".

Shepard frowned, baffled. "You are offering me your help?" He asked, dumbfounded. This was unexpected… that and he wasn't sure if he actually wanted Cerberus' aid.

"Of course, Shepard" the Illusive Man nodded. He looked sober enough. "The Geth and Reapers are enemies of all of us. It is time we start working together and set apart our differences".

It was a hard pill to swallow when one of the most pro-human people Shepard had ever met was the one saying that to him, Shepard, who had always been for cooperation. Was he stuck on some alternate universe? While Shepard had always wanted for Cerberus to find stop being such an arsehole of an organization… he hadn't expected this to happen.

"Wait, just like that?" Shepard squinted at the cunning leader. He crossed his arms, irritable. "You aren't offering help to the Alliance, are you? You only want to help me".

"YOU are the only one invested on Rannoch at the moment, not the Alliance. As you've already discovered, the Alliance is far more worried with their own people. Given our cold war going on, I doubt they would be willing to provide any support to the Quarians" the Cerberus leader replied with a huff. "I can trust you with the lives of my subordinates. I can't say the same of anyone else".

Shepard glared suspiciously at the Illusive Man. "What's the catch?" He wondered. A part of him was appalled he was even considering Cerberus' assistance.

"There is no catch. After all, helping you will help Cerberus as well" the Illusive Man candidly smiled at the Commander.

"You are willing to throw the lives of your own men, entire ships and God knows what else for Quarians?" Shepard asked, thunderstruck. "Alright, who are you and what did you do to the real Illusive Man?"

"Hilarious" scoffed the older man, curtly shaking his head, offended.

"This is about the quarians" Shepard realized with wide eyes. "If the Quarians see Cerberus helping them retake Rannoch…" The Quarians would feel like Cerberus is their true ally in the galaxy and all hopes of the space-faring people aiding the Alliance would be obliterated.

"There's more than that at play, although I'll concede I have grown fond of our galactic cousins" chuckled the Illusive Man. "Here I am, promising to invest resources and lives in an important campaign. Isn't that enough for you? Weren't you the person who wanted me to start helping other species? Here I am, doing exactly what you wanted of me".

Shepard couldn't deny that the Illusive Man was right. If anything he knew he had to be thankful that anyone offered him help. It felt wrong, though. Hell, it was wrong. Shepard couldn't accept help from Cerberus, regardless what the Alliance had been up to. The principle was obvious: the Illusive Man wasn't doing this for the quarians but rather their support and ensure they wouldn't help the Alliance…

"The Alliance would have you do the impossible on your own, without risking one life of their own and at the same time demanding miracles, even when they no longer trust you fully. Yet here I am, lending the strength of Cerberus, even at the risk of growing weak in the eyes of the Alliance, to liberate Rannoch from the Reapers and finally bring about the end of a centuries old tragedy" the Illusive Man stood up, staring to pace as he spoke with vehemence.

The Illusive Man paused in his pace, only to face Shepard "don't you want to free Rannoch for Tali'Zorah?"

"You keep her out of this!" Shepard shouted, enraged.

"Too late Commander! She's already neck-deep in all of this as every single quarian!" The Illusive Man yelled back, just as emotionally as the Commander.

Surprisingly, the Commander was taken aback. When had the Illusive Man broken out of his cold calculating demeanour?

"The offer will stand, Shepard" the Illusive Man told the Commander. He nodded respectfully at Shepard "the choice will be yours".

 _Isn't it always?_ Shepard mentally muttered.

"By the way, Commander, I'm rather surprised you haven't pieced everything together yet" the Illusive Man suddenly said, humming absentmindedly.

"Huh? What exactly am I supposed to piece together?" Shepard tilted his head. This change of topic was a bit too sudden for him.

"Never mind" the Illusive Man shook, smirking. "You'll eventually figure out the entire Truth of this War with the Reapers, hopefully sooner than later".

The Commander was rather flummoxed by that. The Truth of the Reaper War? What could the Illusive Man actually mean by all of that? Exasperated, the Commander sighed. A part of him knew, though, what the Illusive Man was talking about: the reason why Cerberus was acting the way it was. The thing he had told Liara about concerning the organization.

"Why can't you just tell me?" Shepard growled annoyed by all these schemes and secrecy.

"I doubt you would believe me" the man hummed with a taunting smile. "That would be all" he said, only to pause. "Oh, that's right, there was one thing I needed to inform you…" he chuckled, as if admonishing for almost forgetting. "You are interested in the past of the quarians and the Geth, aren't you?"

"I… might be?" Shepard hesitantly replied, unsure what the Illusive Man could be alluding to.

"I don't have the answers, Shepard, but I know where you can find them" the Illusive Man stated. "Search for the Citadel Archives".

"The… Citadel Archives?" Shepard frowned, feeling utterly lost.

"Godspeed, Commander" the Illusive Man raised his glass with a devious smile.

"Wait… what- ?" But it was too late, the Illusive Man was gone.

The Commander frowned, his head reeling. The Citadel Archives? Shepard had heard of that place, a location where the bureaucracy of the Council and the entire Citadel consolidated in numbing paperwork… but could there be more? Was it possible? The Commander eyed the communicator, weary. Could Shepard find the missing piece in the puzzle that had been the Morning War?

Shepard groaned.

"EDI" he sighed, defeated. "Schedule a call with Hackett in a few hours. I need to…" he paused, uncertain about anything.

His entire world felt like it had been turned upside down, especially with the day's revelations: Cerberus offering assistance, the Alliance going through massacres, hidden secrets in the heart of the Citadel and, worst of all, the looming truth. Shepard could feel it, almost in an arm's length: the Truth that Cerberus was withholding from him…

…and yet, all that he could feel was fear and despair.

* * *

 **Author Note: another boring chapter done. Next chapter: Revelations. At long last, Shepard will finally discover what the Illusive Man has been keeping from him and understand how the Reapers are planning on winning the War while at the same time recruiting for the liberation of Rannoch. Meanwhile, Garrus will go to Palaven and learn what his father wanted to discuss.**

 **Please, review and thanks,**

 **The Emerald Commander**


	24. Chapter XII: Requiem For Deceit

**Chapter XII: Requiem for Deceit**

Commander Shepard didn't know what to expect when he walked out into the Alliance Docks at the Citadel. For starters, it felt like it had been ages since his last visit. Oddly enough, what he didn't expect was for things to have stayed the same. It was strange and disorienting. No, if Shepard was honest with himself, things weren't exactly the same, they were actually… calmer. Everything was serene.

Admittedly, Shepard felt out of place, walking across the Presidium in full body armour. People eyed him curiously, stopping to take a good look. Other seemed thankfully oblivious or purposely ignored the heavily armoured Alliance soldier. The Commander was rather sure their reaction would be a lot more different if they could get a glimpse of his face.

Perhaps the Commander was more bothered about his last conversation with Admiral Hackett. The old man had been surprisingly uncaring about Cerberus offering their aid to Shepard. He had, of course, gruffly ordered Shepard to ignore such offer, but there had been something… off. Whatever it was, the Commander didn't like it. It felt as if there was more going on that he didn't know about, and he hated that.

Then there was Garrus. Shepard glanced down at his omni-tool. The turian was bound to be half-way to Palaven now, accompanied only by Nyreen. Shepard didn't like this trip. For starters, there was no telling how the turians would react to Garrus' implants. They might brand Garrus a traitor, or at least suspect treason. Then there was the matter of Garrus' father. What did he need Garrus for? What was so urgent that needed to be discussed in person? Again, Shepard felt as if he was ignorant of something else going on, what was rather likely.

Shepard wearily sighed, glancing around the Presidium. The entire place was wrong, if only beautifully so. It was perhaps too mesmerizing and peaceful for someone like Shepard. At one point, Shepard might have enjoyed relaxing around the Presidium, taking in the sights and catching his breath. Now… now he felt like he was wasting his time.

As the Commander checked his coordinates to make sure that he was, indeed, going in the right direction, he slowly started recalling his conversation with the Illusive Man. Could the bastard be right? Could there be answers to the Geth question in the Archives? It was unlikely. Why would the Council leave such key information hidden from the world? Hell, how such information – if it existed – had managed to stay a secret at all? However, if it was true…

Shepard absentmindedly strode into an elevator and, hesitantly, pressed a button. The doors closed and the elevator trembled before it rose. He allowed a long winded breath to escape his mouth.

He was worrying too much. He was aware of that and yet he just couldn't help it. He finally had a plan to defeat Diniel and so much needed to be done… that and there was this sense of impending doom that haunted him.

"In other news, Cerberus has attacked the human colony of Benning" Shepard glared at the ceiling as the unwanted reporter's voice echoed across the elevator. "Even though the civilian casualties are staggering, the Alliance is proud to announce they have uprooted Cerberus' presence from the planet. Aside from pushing back against the ground troops of the terrorist organization, the Alliance has arrested the notorious Senator Ahmed Al-Hashim, from Terra Firma Party, after millions of credits in his bank accounts were traced back to well-known supporters of Cerberus".

Shepard rolled his eyes. No surprise there. Cerberus had tons of money to bribe people with and there was always a greedy bastard around the corner in politics, after all.

"As shocking as the attack itself, the Alliance has revealed that nearly half the Benning Parliament had received credits from Cerberus. This discovery was thanks to recent revelations concerning multiple businesses secretly financing the terrorist organization. Alliance officials have offered their appreciation to an anonymous source" Shepard scoffed, while smiling under his smile. Sounds like Liara had been busy. "All of these senators had long been outspoken critics of the Alliance and had pushed for Benning's independence. It now appears that their opinion might not have been their own.

"Not surprisingly, Cerberus is denying any involvement on the Massacre of Benning, even when much of the gathered evidence suggests otherwise" Shepard sighed, shaking his head. "Alliance spokespeople have promised a full escalation of Alliance presence on Benning, especially now that the recruitments have skyrocketed after the attack".

Shepard grimaced as he remembered that he had yet to decide Bilal's fate. He was unsure on the next course of action. If he released Bilal, the soldier would probably report on Shepard's actions and give away that the Commander was fully aware of the truth behind Benning's Massacre. That was not necessarily a bad thing… unless one considered Shepard had, by mistake, killed a whole bunch of Alliance soldiers AND broken Admiral Hackett's orders. The Alliance could punish him for that. At the same time, Shepard couldn't hold a soldier hostage like he currently was. It was a waste of resources, time and a proverbial bomb just waiting to explode.

The best thing Shepard could do was tell Hackett about everything, or at least the Admiral behind Benning. He could always strike a deal and delay any problems until Shepard could deal with the situation on Rannoch. Thing was, Shepard had no idea which was the Admiral responsible of Benning's Massacre and after their last talk Shepard wasn't sure if Hackett didn't already know something was up.

Shepard's ruminations were cut short, though, as the elevator slowed down to a halt and the doors opened, only to reveal a long pristine white corridor. Large doors stood on each side, mirroring the one opposite in perfect synchrony. Anxiously, the Commander walked out of the lift, frowning at his omni-tool. Was he on the right floor?

The Commander's gaze went over the doors. There, on small perpendicular panels were numbers, clearly the designation for each flat. It was at moments like these that Shepard pondered how the Reapers had designed the Citadel and how they had managed to do so in such a way that no species had any problems. The fact Shepard could feel as if it was both human and alien was eerie, to say the least, although it probably showed how capable the Reapers were when it came to planning.

At long last, Shepard smiled as he found the apartment he was looking for. Before he entered, he carefully studied his surroundings. Thankfully, he hadn't been followed… at least, he hoped he hadn't. The Commander took a deep breath before a hand swept over to the door's interface. He typed in a short code and, with a squeaky beep, the path ahead was unlocked. The interface turned green and the door swished open.

The Commander didn't lower his guard when he entered the apartment. He carefully stepped in, before taking every single detail with caution. With borderline paranoia, he studied the small hallway that lead to what appeared to be a central living room. The place was strangely stale. The walls were painted with a faint cream colour that came off as grey under the windows which were half covered with white drapes. There were a few beige stiff-looking couches and sofas but other than that, the place was rather bare.

Shepard snapped his head to his right. Behind a long counter that led to what was clearly a kitchen, a woman, dressed in a familiar skin-tight suit, haughtily smirked at the Commander.

"You are a bit early" Miranda Lawson, with cold ocean blue eyes, drawled as she glowed with her own kind of beauty.

Her long, raven wavy hair was free behind her while her pale face remained as flawless as the Commander remembered. Thankfully, she wasn't in a dress or with any makeup. The first time had been weird enough. Shepard did find it odd that she was wearing a suit similar to the one she used back when she was his XO, only without the Cerberus insignia. How times changed…

"Nice to see you too, Miranda" Shepard chuckled, crossing his arms as he grinned at the woman. He glanced at his surroundings "I see you've lowered your standards" he joked.

"A woman must make sacrifices when she doesn't have her usual budget" Miranda shrugged as she walked over to the Commander, her hips swayed seductively. As if capable of conjuring a mesmerising trance, Shepard was unable to resist looking down at her waist. "Like what you see, Commander?"

"Yep" Shepard admitted nonchalantly. "Although I prefer Tali's hips" he added. No one could beat those hips…

Miranda huffed with clear annoyance, but smirked nonetheless, looking amused. She shook her head and, smiling at the floor, she went over to the window.

"How have you been, Shepard? Our last meeting was, unfortunately, rather brief… and rushed" The woman inquired with sincere interest. With an arm across her chest and the other hand on one cheek, she stood as Shepard remembered, bringing back all sorts of memories to the man.

"Y'know, saving the galaxy, uncovering secret plots… the usual" Shepard shrugged. "What about you? You weren't exactly shopping last time."

"Just as busy" Miranda sighed, her face marred with frustration. "My father has Oriana, Shepard". With a sad scowl, she added "but I have yet to determine where my father is".

"What have you discovered?" The Commander queried as he went to stand by the woman's side, worried. He knew Miranda would stop at nothing to rescue her sister, and that wasn't always comforting.

"From what I've been able to discover, my father has gone into hiding… and he has taken a small army with him" Miranda explained. "I would say that he plans on hiding in a bunker until the Reaper threat is gone but… he's up to something. I'm sure of it".

"Do you think he is in cahoots with Cerberus?" Shepard wondered.

"At one point I wondered why my father didn't get along with the Illusive Man. After all, they both share many views on eugenics, the future of humanity and morals, or should I say their lack of moral" Miranda retold with a wistful smile. "But it is the similarities that keep them apart, particularly the one aspect they both crave".

"Power and control" Shepard scoffed, not surprised by that.

"Exactly" Miranda nodded. "They don't like to share and are rather stubborn on their views as being superior. The difference, of course, is that the Illusive Man is a superior tactical genius while my father is only a greedy tycoon with an obsession with his legacy. No, I don't see my father working for or with the Illusive Man, especially now that the Illusive Man has gained so much power".

"So what's the plan?" Shepard wondered.

"I currently don't have any leads to proceed with my search. Wherever my father is, he is well hidden" Miranda reluctantly conceded, sighing with an air of defeat and resignation. She turned to Shepard with a winning smile. "There is also the matter a desperate friend of mine was in need of assistance" she knowingly looked at the Commander. "A good friend who might give me a hand on my hunt later on…"

"Oh, and who is that desperate friend of yours?" Shepard hummed, amused.

"One Commander Shepard. Have you heard about him?" Miranda haughtily replied, grinning.

"I think I've heard a thing or two about him. He's a very handsome guy, isn't he? And quite the chap" the Commander carried on.

"I won't deny he is a very handsome man" Miranda sultrily nodded. Shepard felt a shiver run down his spine at that. She chuckled, stopping with their childish exchange. "I'll help you on this war, Shepard, personally".

"Good" Shepard sighed with relief. "As it is, I need all the help that I can get".

"You will be interested to know that I might have called a few old… acquaintances of ours" Miranda told the man. "They are rather eager to assist".

"Really?" Shepard blinked at the woman, surprised. "Who?"

"I've managed to contact Samara. She should arrive in a few days with fellow Justicars" Miranda grinned as she saw the man's shoulder slump in disbelief. "There's also Grunt" Miranda scoffed with amusement.

"Samara and Grunt? That's great!" Shepard exclaimed, joyous. He hadn't been this happy in a while. "Wait, but wasn't Grunt part of Clan Urdnot now? Last I heard, he was off-world doing God-knows-what for Wrex."

"He's been busy doing a few confidential jobs for Wrex, but he said he would be here regardless. Knowing him, nothing will stop him from a good fight – and we all know you are all about good fights" Miranda shrugged, unsure.

"Thank you, Miranda" Shepard sighed once again, wholly relieved. This was the best news he had gotten thus far. He was so grateful, his hands went to rest on the woman's shoulder.

"Anything for you, Commander" Miranda, blushing profoundly, replied. She kept her winning smile, her once cold eyes sparkling with delight.

Shepard nodded at her as he stepped back, much to her disappointment. "You've really taken a weight off my shoulders" he confessed.

"You know me well enough, Shepard" Miranda smugly retorted. "I don't like to disappoint".

"Agreed" the man chuckled. He folded his arms with renewed hope. "Although I'll have to start thinking about how I'll house all of you in the Normandy…" he grumbled, an eyebrow twitching with annoyance. "I should have thought about that…"

"Have you managed to hear anything concerning Jacob?" Miranda inquired with worry. "I fear what Cerberus might have done to him".

"Actually, he's at the Normandy" Shepard replied. "Garrus managed to rescue him from Gellix".

"I'll have to thank Vakarian then" Miranda grunted with disdain, reluctantly nodding with appreciation.

The Commander couldn't help smiling as he remembered the shared animosity between Garrus and Shepard's former XO. His thoughts were short-lived as Miranda decided to suddenly smile at him. It was not one of her usual ones; it was one of her seductive creepy ones. They were the sort of thing that made Shepard's blood boil, and not in anger.

"So… here we are, alone, with an apartment all for ourselves" Miranda purred, stepping closer to Shepard. A hand softly trailed over the Commander's chest armour, gentle fingers promising blissful pleasure.

"Miranda" Shepard warned, gently grabbing the offending hand. "I'm with Tali – that means I'm off-limits" he bluntly stated.

"I'm aware" Miranda impishly smirked at the Commander. "I doubt she would mind sharing…" she murmured.

"Quarians are as monogamous as Adam and Eve, Miranda. Polygamy isn't even in their language" Shepard deadpanned. "Besides, Tali does have a selfish streak in her, right next to her shotgun-happy side" he remarked.

"You do understand the importance for you to have human children, don't you?" Miranda wondered with a raised eyebrow.

"Urgh, I forget who I'm talking to" Shepard groaned, exasperated. He had forgotten that Miranda was a strong believer of Eugenics. "You know, you might get along with this female Krogan I met".

"I'm not saying you should leave Tali'Zorah. All I'm saying is that as human, we need to keep your genes inside the gene pool -" Miranda started explaining, only to be interrupted by a finger raised in front of her.

"No" Shepard stated.

"But -" Miranda tried to continue. The Commander, though, was persistent.

"No" the man strongly repeated.

Miranda huffed, crossing her arms in defiance. "I will ask Tali'Zorah then" she decided.

Shepard frowned. Was Miranda so delusional to think Tali of all people would approve of Shepard having sex with anyone other than her? Miranda clearly didn't know Tali well enough. Moreover, while he couldn't deny Miranda was… ehm… desirable, he wasn't interested in any polyamorous relationships, not when he had Tali.

"Could we change the subject?" Shepard muttered.

"Very well, what do you wish to talk about?" Miranda huffed, her chin raised high.

Shepard was not about to think the woman would drop the subject. She was too darned stubborn for that. Admittedly, the Commander didn't know what else to talk about. With everything that he had yet to do, Shepard had too much on his place for small talk. However, as he looked at Miranda, he couldn't help to muse about the Citadel Archives. Miranda had always been up-to-date with the Illusive Man's knowledge, so she could know something about the Archives as her former employer.

"Miranda… what do you know about the Citadel Archives?" Shepard tentatively queried.

The woman's eyebrows shot up high on her forehead, surprised. The rest of her face, however, remained impassive. With an expression of pure professionalism, she thoughtfully hummed for a short moment.

"I know a thing or two, mostly that the Illusive Man has been trying to break into it for years now – at least, the more… secret part of the Archives. What I do know is that not even the Shadow Broker has been able to extract any of the secrets inside" Miranda hesitantly replied. She proceeded to deviously smile at him, making Shepard shiver. "I could tell you more… if you can offer me something in return".

Shepard released a long, worn out sigh. He closed his eyes for a moment, feeling the triumphant smirk on the woman's face. When he looked at her, he did so with exasperation.

"Can't you just… tell me?" He wondered.

"All I ask is an afternoon together" Miranda elaborated. "In order to catch up and..." awkwardly, she cleared her throat "and relax". Shepard raised an amused eyebrow at that. "I am more than certain the Galaxy will stay in one piece for an evening, Shepard. More importantly, a good friend once told me it's rather healthy to relax from time to time".

Shepard's face softened as a thought popped into his head, something he had been intending to do at the Citadel for some time now but had never had the chance to do. With a smile, he eyed a stoic Miranda.

"How about we go shopping… for clothes?" He proposed.

Miranda raised one disbelieving eyebrow, maintaining her composure. She was, though, floored with surprise. "Clothes? I might not be your average woman, Shepard, but even that is a risky thing to propose to a woman" she smirked.

"You know me" Shepard grinned under his helmet. "I love living dangerously".

* * *

Home. That was how Garrus would call the large flat where he had lived for most of his childhood. It was near that place, at the heart of the Turian Home-world, Palaven, that Garrus stood, nervous. Every detail conjured memories and feelings about his childhood, making the turian grow weary and reminiscent. He felt old and worn-out, particularly seeing how fresh and different everything was around him.

Tall angular structures rose into the skies, made of whites and greys. Different patterns were etched across their surface, all with the traditional blue of the city, similar in colour to Garrus' face painting. Once upon a time, they would have been in honour of the Spirits that encompassed them. Nowadays, they were just that, paintings, a hollow decoration with as much meaning as a corpse. They were merely a fashion statement of sorts, although that would be pushing it. Garrus' building, where his old childhood home was, towered over him with over three dozen floors.

Differently from other worlds, there were no hovering sky-cars or annoyances cutting through the bright skies of Palaven. Far away, Garrus could see tall mountains and the ancient Temple. It now laid forgotten, like a relic, as a lone sentinel over a cliff looking down on the city. There were no longer any priests working inside, nor did anyone care about its existence aside from tourists.

A subdued groan broke Garrus out of his musings. He turned to his side, noticing a grumbling and squinting Nyreen glaring at the heavens above.

"Still too bright?" Garrus asked.

"I shouldn't have forgotten about Palaven's elevated radiation…" muttered the female before scowling at Garrus. "Have you mustered your courage or do you need a day or two?"

"It isn't a matter of courage" Garrus retorted, before sighing despondently. "I'm just enjoying the peace while it lasts…"

"It's a nice neighbourhood" Nyreen awkwardly remarked. She studied their surroundings for the umpteenth time. "Perfect to rise a family" she mumbled, uncomfortable with that last comment.

"That was what my parents had in mind" Garrus replied, nostalgic. Taking a deep breath from behind his helmet, he stood up straight, regardless of the heavy bag hanging from a shoulder. "Come on, my father doesn't take kindly to tardiness" he added.

The two stepped inside the building, walking into a large bare granite antechamber. To their right and left were three elevators per wall, leading up into the many apartments. There was no need of extra illumination given how the glass doors and few back windows seemed enough for the intense sunlight to pour in and cover everything under a blinding brilliance. Without anything to stall them, the pair walked across the well-lit room and towards the nearest elevator door to their left.

Garrus didn't know how to describe the awkward silence that pervaded the air inside the elevator. With only a faint hum filling the stillness between Garrus and Nyreen, they both stiffly stood side by side as the elevator rose. It was confusing, if not disorienting, to walk amidst peaceful streets and with only turians to cross their path, almost too… alien. That and Garrus felt a prolonged pang of nostalgia with everything he saw of Palaven.

In the end, their short ordeal ended as the elevator reached its destination. The doors slide open and the two turians stepped out. With a door to their left and another to the right, the pair were monetarily blinded by the square window glaring down at them, intense light piercing through the glass.

The male turian approached the door to the left, steady. He took a moment to study the door, making sure this was indeed the door to the home he remembered. That and so that he could muster his courage. Whatever his father wanted to discuss, it was bound to be important. Unable to stop the inevitable, Garrus reached for a side console and pressed the bell button. The door opened soon after.

There were many things Garrus could easily recall from his childhood and most of his life. Not surprisingly, the gaunt and slender form of his father was one of them. Castis Vakarian was as imperious and commanding as any Admiral, if only much colder. His pearl blue eyes, hidden deep in the cavernous darkness that were their sockets, conjured the petrifying feeling as if one was staring into a creature lurking in the shadows. He was not that old, still in rather good shape, but age was showing in his stance and gaze, wisdom attained through a thousand burdens burning outwards. Castis was a turian who had witnessed many horrors, and it showed in his very presence.

Castis Vakarian was not a turian who needed an army to fit in a battlefield. Even dressed in lose turian robes he looked like he could be planning the next battle. The black clothing involved was almost ominous, like that of a prophet, while the snaking navy-blue waves that served as decorative patterns only gave of the impression Castis served a different type of army rather than none at all.

"Garrus" Castis stated with what Garrus could only assume was relief. The younger turian remained frozen, unable to react.

Castis sounded impassive enough, if not impatient. He looked at Nyreen, his mandibles twitched in sign of curiosity. Something strange crossed the older turian's visage, something Garrus could only remember from a time long past: amusement.

"I presume you are Nyreen Kandros" Garrus' father greeted courteously. "I wish I could say I heard many things from you, but sadly my son has been…" he glanced at Garrus with disapproval "nebulous about you". Garrus inwardly muttered a prayer to the spirits.

"It is an honour, sir" Nyreen respectfully greeted stoically, as a three-digit hand moved over her chest, right onto her heart, before bowing in a dignified manner. Castis followed suit with the same gesture, humming approvingly.

Castis stepped aside. "Please, do enter" he softly said, allowing for the pair to, rather awkwardly, get inside the Vakarian residence.

As Garrus managed to step inside, his attention was drawn by his surroundings. Everything was a pristine white, from the table at the centre of the room and the accompanying four chairs to the glittering three swords hanging on a wall. The walls had been painted with dancing waves of patterns, surrounded by old turian runes, all of which stood out from the pale surroundings in intense strong blues as they sang tales of old. Even at his age, Garrus felt like a child as he remembered the many tales his mother had narrated throughout his childhood.

"I prepared something to eat" Castis proudly declared as he marched to the kitchen, as if hurrying over to his command centre. On his way there, he gestured at the table where, indeed, a large silver platter was filled with turian cuisine, giving off a thick cloud of steam embedded with delicate aromas. "Please, do sit down. There is a lot to discuss".

Garrus reluctantly approached the table, followed closely by his anxious companion. His father had always jumped straight to business, something Garrus might have appreciated in the past. At the moment, Garrus wanted a moment of peace without worrying about what else had gone wrong. It seemed things fell apart all around him… blasted Shepard and his Fate deity.

"What are… these?" Nyreen curiously asked as she tilted her head. She sat down while Garrus remained standing, restless.

"A traditional plate passed down by the Vakarian clan across the generations" Castis proudly boasted as he returned with a cold golden jug filled with purple juice. "It is mostly meat from different critters found on the Asparius Mountain Range".

He set the jug down next to the food as he proceeded to take a seat himself. It was then that he noticed that Garrus hadn't sat down, nor had he removed his helmet. It took only one glance with that old inquisitive and harsh gaze of his, one reserved to particularly bad cases during his time on C-Sec, for Castis to figure out what was troubling his son.

"Remove your helmet and sit down, son" Castis all but ordered. "Stalling will not help when confronting a problem".

As always, he was right, much to Garrus dismay. With a weary sigh, Garrus reached for his helmet and, with a second of hesitation, removed it. Ashamed, he kept his gaze down as he pulled his helmet to a side before moving to sit down. As he looked at his father, Garrus grimaced as he noticed his father staring, the mandibles of the old turian spreading with shock.

"I see life with the humans hasn't been kind to you" Castis slowly said, regaining his composure. He shifted on his seat, suddenly concerned. "What happened, Garrus?"

"Remember when I explained what happened to half my face?" Garrus sheepishly inquired as he tapped on the table. Why did he feel like a troublemaking child at the moment?

"Yes…" Castis slowly nodded, not amused by the memory. "If I remember correctly, you described it as – and I quote – 'taking a gunship missile to the face'. You had mentioned that your recovery was almost miraculous". He paused to hum as he pensively scratched his chin. "Is it safe to assume those implants were behind your recovery?"

"Yes, and they had been hidden under my skin for some time now" Garrus nervously confessed.

Castis' response was a long, impassive hum as he studied his son. It wasn't exactly comforting to be started at in such a manner.

"This is delicious" Nyreen spluttered all of a sudden, drawing the attention of the two Vakarians.

"I'm glad you like it" Castis nodded approvingly at the female. He leaned back with a knowing glance at Garrus. "But you didn't come here for either my person or my culinary abilities".

"Indeed" Garrus hummed. "You told me that you had something…" he paused, searching for the right word "urgent to discuss with me".

Castis tiredly sighed, closing his eyes tiredly. The younger male tilted his head, surprised by the sudden change of demeanour. It only got more baffling as Castis stood up, shaking his head with resignation and slowly walked over to a nearby window. He stood there, basking under the intense sun of Palaven, as he stared into the city beyond. Garrus and Nyreen traded perplexed expressions, pondering what could have brought about such emotions in a turian like Castis.

"What I'm about to tell you can't leave this room" Garrus' father stated. He glanced at them, a dangerous spark glittering in his eyes.

It was under such predatory gaze that Garrus realized the full gravity of what was about to be discussed. He nervously fidgeted on his seat and braced for what would follow.

"Five Palaven days ago, we've lost contact with a small colony" Castis gravely declared. "At first, it was assumed pirates or slavers had attacked. However, when a small Scout Flotilla was sent to investigate… we lost them as well".

Garrus felt his mandibles start spreading and closing as dread started filling his veins. With wide eyes, he stared at his father's back, knowing full well exactly where they were heading to. And yet, a part of him was reluctant to believe it. He really didn't want to believe it.

"This is the first colony that has gone dark on us, but not the first signs of…" Castis' gaze turned to the floor, hesitation dripping into every syllable "…something pressing against our borders. Nine days ago, we lost contact with a listening post, followed by a refuelling station nearby and then a mining facility." He turned to the two younger turians, ominously looking at the pair. " _They_ are finally moving… towards Palaven: the Reapers".

Garrus and Nyreen traded worried looks. They both knew that there was nothing that could stop the Reapers from reaching Palaven. It chilled their blood to understand the hopelessness of their situation.

"But why haven't they attacked Palaven yet?" Garrus queried. "With the humans, the Reapers went straight to Earth and Arcturus Station and left the colonies unscathed. Why are they pressing against our borders? And why so slowly?"

"It is safe to assume that the Reapers are more apprehensive of the Turians' military might than the humans" Castis replied, although he didn't seem to think that was the case. Neither did the other two turians. "Sadly, the Reapers are truly outside our comprehension. Whatever they are planning… there is nothing we can do to stop them".

"What's the Hierarchy planning to do?" Nyreen quickly asked, nervously shifting on her seat. "We can't let Palaven fall like Earth!"

"The Hierarchy has already started to prepare for a full-scale invasion. Resources are being reallocated and the armies are being rallied. Our fleets have been moved to various positions and will hide until the order is given. It won't be enough… but that doesn't mean we will make it easy for the Reapers. We'll fight – to the last turian if we must" Castis grunted angrily.

"Wait… why is the Hierarchy keeping secret about the Reapers' movements?" Garrus wondered, confused.

"Given the full size of our Empire, our losses thus far have been negligible. We have a population of billions upon billions, and less than three thousands of our people have gone missing, and in remote risky locations at that. Until we have full confirmation of what's coming, the Hierarchy will remain steady and cautious" Castis offered.

"But why are you telling us this, sir?" Nyreen queried, anxious. Garrus shared her distress. There was something his father wasn't telling them, and it was bound to be the real reason Garrus was summoned to Palaven.

Castis sighed once again, reluctance emanating from his stance as he remained there, facing them. There was resignation on his face, an anguish of a father about to ask something hard to his son.

"If the Reapers are truly headed this way, then the Hierarchy has decided to find new avenues to help our people. Our allies will assist us but, as we already know, we are going to need more than what the Asari and Salarians will be able to give us, for we'll need massive armies and fleets, both of which we have provided to them for centuries" Castis slowly explained, stalling.

Garrus couldn't tell where his father was heading towards. If he didn't know any better, he would have assumed that the turians would turn to Cerberus for aid… but that was crazy, wasn't it? The Hierarchy would never request aid from Cerberus. At the moment, though, Garrus wasn't so sure.

"Garrus… Cabal Kandros…" Castis took a deep breath, wearily eyeing the pair. "The Hierarchy has commanded that you are to assist the Geth against the Reaper designated Diniel… and impede the Quarians from reclaiming Rannoch, even if it is against Commander Shepard's will".

To say Garrus and Nyreen were shocked would have been an understatement.

* * *

"So… they aren't real tentacles?" Joker asked, surprised, at EDI's holographic form to his left.

The pilot leisurely sat back, his comfortable chair extended backwards. There was little to nothing to do, but that wouldn't stop Joker from sticking onto his beloved chair, not when he considered the privacy he had at the cockpit. After all, there were little to no other places he could spend his time watching his favourite magazine without intruding gazes.

Between the hands of the unabashed pilot was the recent issue of Fornax. With wide-eyes, the man turned to look at the asari model on the magazine. With most of her blue skin exposed, she held a rather provocative pose that made Joker's face lit up instantly. He whistled, genuinely amazed by the discovery.

"What's next?" Joker scoffed "that their boobs are fake?" He suddenly paled, snapping his head at EDI. "They aren't, are they? They are real, right? Please tell me they are real" He begged, dreading the answer.

"There's no reason for distress" EDI replied "They are indeed authentic".

"Oh thank God" sighed Joker in relief, a goofy smile spreading across his face.

"Perhaps you should consider spending your time on more productive activities" EDI remarked.

"Hey, you aren't my mom!" Joker grumbled, childishly turning around so that his back faced the hologram. It was at that moment that something started beeping on his console. It was the communication link. "Urgh" he theatrically waved his hands in faux exasperation, groaning, before he opened a channel "What is it?"

"It's Admiral Hackett. He's about to board the ship" Samantha Trayor announced with urgency in her voice.

"Shit!" Joker swore as he hurried to hide his magazine. With utter desperation, he tried to stand up, hoping he was presentable enough. Hastily, he dusted himself off with a hand, hoping that there were no crumbs left from his last snack. "Why didn't you tell me sooner that he was here?!" He cried out, panicking.

"I've just received word that he's headed this way, alright?" Samantha retorted. "Be thankful I at least warned you".

Joker grumbled his thanks as he stroke his stomach. With any luck, the stains of food wouldn't be too obvious, nor would he be too smelly for the Admiral. The last thing he needed was for the old man to kick him out of the Normandy due to lack of decorum. Joker really hadn't missed all the protocols of the Alliance military.

The pilot went over outside the cockpit, right by the air-lock - the entrance to the ship - just as Ashley, fully covered under her armour, and James, with a hastily worn and screamingly tight protocol shirt, hurried over to greet the superior officer. There was no time to say anything. As a matter of fact, they all gathered just in time for the doors to hiss open.

"Commander on deck!" Ashley cried out, saluting. In perfect synchronization, the other two men stood up straight and saluted as Admiral Hackett, in the flesh, grimly marched into the Normandy.

Behind the Admiral, two bulky marines, with shoulders as wide as James and frames as tall as Shepard, stomped after their commander. Like Ashley, they were fully covered in Alliance armour. Differently from the marine, however, they weren't wearing the standard navy blue set but rather a heavy plated Onyx suit… with red and white stripes running down their right arms. These weren't your everyday marines, these were N7s.

Admiral Hackett was, to Joker, ten times more intimidating that he had expected. There was an air of threat that warned Joker against being remotely funny. Hell, the pilot could feel a bead of sweat roll down a side of his face in the presence of the grizzled Admiral. The man in question chose to ignore Joker and went straight to Ashley, responding with a proud salute of his own.

"At ease, soldier" Hackett stated as he stood up straight, arms behind him. He offered a nod of approval to Ashley, one which sent a wave of relief to the pilot.

The marines pulled their hands behind him, chest puffed up and keeping their chin up with respect. Thankfully for all of them, Hackett was not the type of man to stray away from business.

"Lieutenant Commander Williams, Lieutenant Vega, if you would be kind enough to escort me to the Conference room" Hackett politely requested.

"Right away, sir" Ashley replied. "I must apologize for Lieutenant Commander Shepard's absence, sir. We weren't informed of your arrival, sir".

"Call this a surprise visit" Hackett grunted. "I don't have enough time to waste discussing technicalities. There's a lot we need to discuss… in private".

Ashley blinked at Hackett, bewildered. To her credit, she didn't hesitate. "Right this way, sir" she stated, a faint hint of trepidation and uncertainty seeping into her voice.

With that, she turned to her left and started leading the Admiral and two bodyguards across the Command Centre. The rest of the crew saluted and remained in that position while the imposing Admiral marched through. Joker watched, baffled, as the group of hardened soldiers entered the elevator, before vanishing. The first thing he noticed was a deflating Samantha Traynor, who seemed like she was about to faint.

"Weird" Joker commented, scratching his ever-present cap, as he frowned at the elevator door at the distance. "Why wouldn't he call Shepard about this meeting?" He wondered, looking back at EDI's small projector.

There was nothing there.

"Eh… EDI? You there?" Joker asked. He gulped, feeling a tight knot forming on his stomach. He had a very bad feeling about this.

* * *

The Archives of the Citadel… never before had Shepard laid his eyes on a more wretched and villainous place before – aside from Afterlife in Omega, of course, but that was Omega. Never in a thousand years would he have predicted he would one day want to break inside the Archives. Then again, he had never suspected they held anything more than paperwork. Who could have thought that they actually hid some of the darkest secrets of the Council? Well, at least that was what was said.

From what Miranda had told Shepard, the Council had always recorded their doings, both good and bad, for future generations of Councillors to learn from. Many people had sought to break into the Archives, always ending in failure. Even the Shadow Broker hadn't managed to get more than hints of the underlying truth residing in the confines of the bureaucratic heaven. It was strange to imagine that there was such a place that the Shadow Broker's eyes and ears didn't reach…

As it was, however, Shepard didn't have a plan, didn't know what he could possibly do to get into the secret parts of the Citadel Archives and wasn't sure if it was even a good idea. Still, the gnawing hunger for truth urged him forward, to do yet another foolish thing that could end him in loads of trouble. This desire to unveil the mysteries of the Morning War would certainly be the end of Shepard if things scaled up like this.

With the entrance to the Archives, lightly guarded by two turian C-Sec officers, in his sights, Shepard could only stare from afar, on top of a building. It would be rather bold to attempt something as breaking in. Since he was no longer a Spectre, he couldn't just walk past the guards. Worse, if the Council got a mere whiff of his intentions, there would be hell to pay.

Shepard's heart ached at the thought of failing the Alliance, but not as much as the feeling he had that he was failing Tali. He had to do this, not just for her and the quarians, but for justice and for the future. Was it worth it, though? To risk so much for member a different species? Was Shepard being too irrational in his pursuit for the truth in regards to Rannoch? Perhaps… but as things were, the Commander might never know.

The man was suddenly startled by movement behind him. In a flash, he had turned around and drawn his gun. Strangely enough, across the flat darkened roof of the building, there was no one… or so it would appear. The Commander narrowed his eyes, his gun ready to shoot, before he noticed it.

"Uncloak yourself – now" he growled menacingly.

A giggle was his answer, one that made the Commander's resolve falter. His heart skipped a beat as he froze. He recognized that giggle…

The air quivered a few feet away, only to reveal none other than a smirking Kasumi Goto. Clad in black skin-tight suit and a hood, she looked as Shepard recalled from their last… unpleasant encounter. There was no red in her suit – favouring an entirely black replica - and, this time, her eyes were covered by round futuristic shaded goggles that had an angled seamless metal frame.

"Kasumi" Shepard grunted, squinting angrily at her with renewed conviction. His handgun was pointed straight to the woman's head.

"What's up, Shep?" Kasumi casually asked, leisurely walking a good radius around the Commander only to stand by the roof's edge. "Enjoying the view?"

Shepard didn't say anything. Mentally, he was slapping himself. The Illusive Man must have known Shepard wouldn't resist going to the Archives, not after his suggestion. Sometimes, the Commander felt like the Illusive Man was maybe too clever for his own good.

"Let me guess" Shepard sighed, shaking head. "The Illusive Man sent you as back up".

"Not just me" Kasumi smirked.

The Commander's eyes widened as he snapped his head behind him. Startled, a large semi-circle of air quivered and shook, glowing and sparkling as different figures broke out of their cloaking fields. It was with worry that Shepard realized that he was surrounded by three Cerberus Nemesis and three Phantoms, all human males, with a familiar assassin at their lead.

"Thane" Shepard whispered, disbelieving.

The drell in question remained standing, his hands on his back, as he nodded back at the Commander. Oddly enough, the other Cerberus operatives didn't appear hostile either. Thane was exactly as Shepard recalled, wearing the same clothing he did from the last encounter.

"Shepard" Thane greeted. "The Illusive Man thought you might need help in your task" he stated calmly, as if he was meeting with an old friend (well, admittedly from his point of view he was).

Shepard felt a sour taste filling his mouth at that. This was bad… not because he was surrounded by Cerberus, an organization he had been fighting until recently, but because he was actually not that interested in fighting them. He hadn't planned for this… what was he even doing? He clenched his gun. No, he had to stay loyal to the Alliance. He had sworn the Oath, and no Shepard went back on his word.

"Give me a good reason I should risk my reputation and future by being anywhere near you?" Shepard growled. "One wrong picture or video and I might as well join Cerberus before they chop my head".

"The Illusive Man is not someone who finds wisdom through the imposition of his will" Thane replied with an understanding nod. "There is, however, one thing I offer you here and today if you chose to accept our aid…" he dramatically paused, staring straight at Shepard's eyes. "The Truth" he declared.

Shepard's eyes widened.

"Yeah, and we mean the entire truth" Kasumi grinned. "A very tempting offer, isn't it?"

Shepard felt his mouth dry and a large lump form on his neck. She was right: this was too tempting an offer not to take. Finally, the truth was at a hand's reach, ready to be delivered… but the price… would he be willing to risk being seen working with Cerberus? Hell, could he even risk breaking into a secret Council location?

The Commander turned around, gritting his teeth, only to glare down at the entrance to the Citadel Archives. He took a deep breath before he looked back at Thane, glancing at Kasumi. Yes, he was more than willing to risk everything… for the Truth. He was tired of the schemes and plots, of fighting a war he could not fully follow. He was tired of being ignorant. No, today was the day the veil would be lifted, regardless whether what he discovered promised to change his entire view on this war. Still, Shepard couldn't help feeling trepidation for what he was about to do.

"Do you have a plan?" The Commander asked as impassively as he could.

"I knew you wouldn't resist being with good ole me" Kasumi giggled as he slapped the Commander on the back, much to his surprise.

"Kasumi, we don't have time to lose" Thane authoritatively admonished the Asian woman before approaching Shepard's side to study the Citadel Archives. "Yes, Shepard, we have a plan… but we'll require of your expertise to reach the true Archives".

"My expertise?" Shepard frowned at Thane.

"Let's just say we know of a few upgrades you have" Kasumi cryptically offered.

It only confused the Commander more, as well as worry him. How had they figured out how he had been upgraded by the Geth? The spies on the Normandy? It was possible that Legion had discussed the upgrades with Dr Chakwas in the open for a spy to eavesdrop, something Shepard hadn't bothered inquiring about with everything else he had to deal with.

"Do you remember Project Overlord, Shepard?" Thane asked. At Shepard's hesitant nod, the drell continued. "This is similar" he said, only to add "but we'll explain once we have infiltrated the Archives".

"What's the plan?" The Commander inquired.

"We'll sneak in through the emergency exits, hacking the doors and altering any security footage. Going across the bureaucratic wing of the Archives will be easy enough. The complications will be to find and unlock the way to the Archives' secrets. That's when your upgrades shall guide us" Thane offered.

It was then that Shepard slowly realized what he was doing. He was about to help the enemies of the Council and Alliance into one of the best kept secrets of the former. This wasn't just treason: it was stupid. He was actually aiding Cerberus steal valuable information that could tip the scale of power in their favour. More importantly, if the Illusive Man was Indoctrinated or merely a megalomaniac, then it would make the war against the Reapers a whole lot worse…

 _How much worse can it get?_ Shepard thought. _We don't understand the Reapers… but why do I get the impression Cerberus are up to something? Why do I feel there is some strange logic behind their actions?_

In the end, Shepard was willing to risk it. If the Council had nasty secrets to keep, then it was the Council's fault. He was going to do his job: liberate Rannoch and crush the Reapers and everyone who stood on his way to victory. Nothing else mattered.

The infiltration of the Archives was as simple as Thane had said it would be. There were few guards and cameras and they were rather easy to bypass, especially with Kasumi. Shepard didn't know why, but only Thane and Kasumi accompanied him into the Archives. It was likely the others would stay back and prepare for the worst case scenario.

They gained access through below the Archives, going through something akin to a sewer, which led to a shut blast door right below the Archives' bathrooms. Kasumi was quick to hack the door and allow them to slip inside and walk out into the Citadel Archives proper. There were, unfortunately, a lot of people in that moment.

Shepard didn't know what the Citadel Archives looked like. When he had been told it was a nightmarish place where all patience went to die behind blundering paperwork, he hadn't really thought much about it. Now, as he saw rows upon rows of desks, with terminals opposite which various people worked on, he knew that the rumours weren't far from the truth.

Asari, turians and Salarians, clad in different suits and formal dresses, dutifully laboured at their posts, fiercely attacking their menial jobs. All across a massive hall, lit by blue lights overhead, the sounds of typing and short dialogues pervaded the place. There were a good number who actually walked from here to there, handing a data-pad to that one person or to the other, trading few words. It was as if they were hypnotized in their jobs.

With their cloaking shields activated, the trio hurriedly evaded the office personnel. None seemed to notice the shimmer in the air or the way some data-pads and chairs moved all of a sudden. Too enthralled in their tasks, the three intruders slipped by with ease, and just in time as their cloaks gave in. Hiding in what appeared to be a storage room, they allowed for their armours to recharge.

"What now?" Shepard murmured to his former friends.

"Now you lead us" Thane told the man. He placed a hand over the Commander's shoulder, making Shepard rather uncomfortable. He was supposed to be angry at Thane… and yet he couldn't bring himself to hate the assassin. He was still nervous about what he was doing. He must have lost his mind at some point in the past…

"How?" The Commander wondered.

"Like this" Kasumi muttered, stepping forward with her omni-tool. She impishly smirked at Shepard. "Welcome to the Matrix, Neo".

Before Shepard could say anything, Kasumi typed something on her omni-tool and everything suddenly changed. Something rippled across him, a feeling not unlike that of electrocution if only less painful but just as uncomfortable. It was abrupt and harsh, but soon enough, the Commander was stepped back, shocked, as the world became… different.

It was hard to describe but it was not unfamiliar to Shepard. After all, everything now looked like it had when he had been, for the lack of a better term, been hacked during his misadventure with Project Overlord. When he had connected with David Archer, everything was covered under a green glowing light as variables, numbers and words danced in streams of information across every surface. There were no other colours and everything was just… surreal.

Shepard looked at Kasumi and Thane, only for his eyes to widen. He could only see their silhouettes, the rest remaining a light translucent green. What he could see what could only be described as their spines, shining brightly, as thousands of invasive cybernetics snaked across their flesh and their eyes. The eyes in particular were terrifying to watch, glowing orbs floating amidst a sea of transparent material. Both of them, he realized, had gone through Cerberus implantation… and he could see the cybernetics.

"Remember our mission, Shepard" Thane whispered encouragingly. "We'll explain everything. I promise".

For the time being, the Commander would hold him to his word. He was a bit too speechless to retort, not to mention disoriented. As a matter of fact, he had some trouble moving around, everything so different to the reality he was used to. How had they even activated such a thing? Did Kasumi have remote control of him or something?

"No time like the present, Shep" Kasumi impatiently hissed.

Muttering something under his breath, Shepard shook his head and, almost blindly, activated his cloaking field before stepping out, into the hall of bureaucrats. To say the Commander was taken aback by how different everything was might have been an understatement. It was hard to think and concentrate with how distracting his surroundings had become.

There were many halls like the one they escaped, all with the same bureaucrats at their jobs. Shepard walked forward, cloaked, as he searched for anything. There had to be some way of figuring out where the secrets were… it was as they went through their fifth hall of paper-pushers that Shepard noticed something: a massive power line cutting, seen as a shiny pipe, through the ceiling. Intrigued, Shepard followed it.

The Commander was rather thankfully when the power line led them down an isolate cold corridor and straight to a large blast door. He stood right in front of it, amazed by the many cables and connections he saw.

"Just great, a dead end" Kasumi swore.

Shepard glanced at his hand, remembering the familiar sensation of Shannae's server room. Could he actually manipulate machines like he did the Geth Interface? Tentatively, he raised his hand and placed it on the wall. Behind the visor of his helmet, Shepard's eyes were shining in an intense green light, something only his companions were aware of.

"Shepard?" Kasumi asked, confused. "What are you…?"

"Access Granted"

Both Thane and Kasumi stared, surprised, as what they had first assumed had been a wall hissed and slid to a side, revealing a bare, steel corridor. How had Shepard found it? They had no idea. They were, however, not about to question their good fortune. The Commander, as if oblivious to their presence, marched forward, looking around in awe.

Shepard stopped halfway through, only to look at something to his right. He stared at the wall, much to the confusion of his two colleagues. After a few seconds, the Commander walked over to the wall and, just like before, placed a hand over one of the large metal tiles. There was a loud bleep, and, before Thane and Kasumi knew it, a flat holographic interface materialized right around Shepard's hand. The Commander didn't press anything though. As if hypothesized by the world only he could see, he remained there, staring at the wall with a hand against it.

Within seconds, Thane and Kasumi were startled by a loud voice.

"Welcome UNREGISTERED" the female voice warmly greeted. "You may proceed".

Shepard turned around, facing the way ahead, and, without sparing a glance at his two companions, continued on their path. Thane and Kasumi hurried to his side, amazed by the way Shepard seemed able to figure out where all the access points and security consoles were. In the end, they managed to reach the end of the long corridor, against a massive, heavy blast door that looked like it could withstand entire armies. Thankfully, all they needed was for Shepard to rest his hand on the door for it to open.

"Open sesame" Kasumi whistled with a grin as the heavy door roared open. Her grin fell as her jaw went slack as the three saw what laid behind the door.

"Incredible" Thane commented, awed, as they walked inside.

Whatever they had expected, this was not it. After all, they hadn't expected a massive city of large white cylindrical structures on each side of a long street-like platform. They were like tubes, or rather parts of an underground train, plugged into the wall. The place wasn't huge: it was incredible spacious, large enough for a dreadnaught to fit in comfortably. Large mechanical hands kept hovering around, taking hold of one cylinder and moving it to another position with some hidden purpose.

"This was easier than I expected" Thane frowned behind his visor.

"Don't jinx it" Kasumi nudged the Drell. "Wait, where's Shepard?"

They snapped their heads to the way ahead, noticing that the Commander had obliviously kept walking, ignoring his surroundings for something only he could see. Or rather, something off in the distance: a long console. Thane and Kasumi had to run to catch up as the man reached his destination. Much to their confusion, Shepard didn't do anything once he stood in front of the console. Rather, he stayed there, staring at it contemplatively.

"Commander?" Thane called, concerned for his estranged friend.

Shepard, still staring at the console, reached out to it, his eyes still glowing green. The hand hovered over the console for a few seconds, hesitant, before falling down onto the interface. A loud sound drew their attention to their right, where a massive mechanical hand took hold of a large tube far above in the air, and pulled it out. Three pair of eyes stared as the cylinder was brought towards them only to be gently place in front of them.

Shepard stared at the tube with trepidation, his once glowing green eyes returning to their original white. Right in front of the trio, not far from the console, was metal door to the cylinder's interior. It slid open, revealing the hollow interior of the large tube.

The Commander slowly walked into the cylinder, taking in the rows of cylindrical lockers on each side and what appeared to be a projector at one end. He stood by the door-frame, unsure. Was this the correct path to take? Was there even anything worth discovering? Why could he even suspect the Council had anything to do? And yet, Shepard had to know more.

Curiously, the Commander approached one of the lockers and opened it. Inside, there was a large force-field covering what appeared to be artefacts. Much to the Commander's surprise, there was a long piece of cloth, made of some sort of expensive-looking black silk-like material embroiled with golden runes.

"A gift from the Quarians" Kasumi said, startling the Commander. The man glanced at her, noticing the data-pad she curiously read. "The quarians gave this shawl to Council diplomats during the First Contact… huh, who would have thought?" Kasumi added, confused. "I can't wrap my head on quarians wearing shawls…" she admitted before grinning mischievously "I bet it would look nice on me".

"No stealing" Shepard and Thane chorused. Kasumi pouted with resignation in response.

Shepard saw Thane go to another of the lockers, intrigued. The Commander closed the locker with the shawl before turning to the projector. He started walking over to it, only to stop as he glanced at Thane's now open locker. There, in front of the Drell, were many pieces of outdated Geth, arranged across different shelves.

"This feels more like a Museum" Kasumi commented.

"Sometimes, our best secrets reside within our history" Thane sagely pointed out.

"I rather the Council had all of these than some black market dealer" Shepard told the two as he went over to the projector.

"Or a rich arsehole's summer house, right Shep?" Kasumi scoffed.

Shepard typed on projector console, finding various logs registered in the machine. Much to the Commander's chagrin, there were months' worth of recordings by the looks of it.

"Do you think they have Quarian movies in there?" Kasumi hummed, standing next to the man.

"Considering what can be found here…" Thane trailed off as he studied the interior of yet another locker, which held a full scarlet armour set. "I wouldn't be surprised".

"You want to know if the Council was behind the Geth upraise?" Kasumi queried, staring at the console's side screen. She inquisitively glanced at the Commander.

"I don't know what I expect to find here" Shepard sighed, shaking his head. "I was hoping for the Council having found hints as to what caused the Geth to turn violent on the Quarians…"

"You suspect someone" Thane stated. It was not a question.

"Sovereign" Shepard admitted. "It would make perfect sense but…"

"It would not explain why Sovereign didn't contact the Geth sooner" Thane hummed.

"Let's check out the last entry" Kasumi decided, quickly pressing on one of the titles in the list of recordings before Shepard could protest.

The projector lit up but no hologram was formed. Instead, they heard a synthetic and distorted voice. It was impossible to tell whether it was a woman or man, or even what species he or she so happened to be. Perhaps it was on purpose, but Shepard wasn't sure.

"Record " the voice stated before a long resounding sigh emanated from the projector "the last record from the Quarian ark…" there was a long pregnant pause. "The Quarians are no more. While there are a few survivors gathered in what has been dubbed the 'Migrant Fleet', their culture… their planet… it is all gone. They've lost everything… because of me."

Even when the voice was so modulated and altered, there were figments of sadness in the narrator's voice. Regardless, Shepard felt his blood run cold in his veils. No… it couldn't be. Someone had actually sabotaged the Geth? How? Why?

"Our Intelligence has managed to get a full report on the Quarians and their situation. It is still amazing to see how, even after they have been exiled, the Quarians have chosen to remain isolated from the rest. I don't know whether to praise their resolve or insult their stupidity… There are a few quarians who have opted to integrate with the Turians, but they are extremely few. The official number of remaining Quarians in the galaxy is… is…" the voice paused, unable to continue.

Shepard exchanged confused looks with his reluctant colleagues. It all sounded weird with a voice forced to be impassive while at the same time the original speaker was this emotional.

"It's seven million, two hundred and twenty three thousand souls" the voice finally said. "From thirty billion to that… and no one seems to care". There was a long weird cough that might have been a scoff before the recording's editing. "Why would anyone care? The Quarians didn't get along with anyone and they preferred to keep to themselves… I guess the Council got what they wanted.

"Now, there is no fear that the Geth will raise up against their masters as the Council had dreaded. No, we managed to speed things up and make it all happen, ahead of schedule I might add. To think that we had estimated two hundred years of upgrades before the Geth started becoming sentient" yet another scoff was heard. "I should have known the Council approved of my project for other reasons…

"The Turians will no longer have to compete with the Quarians both in terms of military and economy. What other dextro-amino species is out there to challenge claims for Dextro garden worlds or who had such a potential army of foot soldiers available? No one. Without the Quarians, the Turians are now have the undisputed armies. Let's hope it's enough for the Geth.

"The Salarians had always been troubled by how close the Geth were to breaking many laws and regulations on AI, that and they had always been annoyed by how little interest the Quarians had in sharing. Without the quarians, their businesses almost have a monopoly now in regards to synthetic developments…

"My – the Asari people has always held the Quarians with a certain level of contempt. How could we not? They were – probably still are - so zealous about their beliefs and the purity of their Ancestors legacy that they saw us as – as… as gene-stealers… there were some quarians who thought of us – I mean, the Asari – as a parasitic culture, feeding on the strengths of other species. We did find their culture interesting… a pity they were so regressive and bigoted.

"And yet, all we wanted was for the Quarians to open up, to add their strength to our own and to learn from each other. It is the best way for all of us to avoid tragic wars like the Krogan Rebellions. If they had been less reclusive, less insular… we could have all prospered together and we could have avoided so many problems…

"If we had removed the Geth as planned it might have been different. We could have achieved our goal of pushing the quarians to integration at long last… They would have been forced to open up to the rest of the Galaxy without their slaves… but we failed… no, I failed".

Shepard stared at the projector, enthralled by the story. A part of him struggled to believe what he was hearing, while another part of his being was frozen, fixated on every word spoken.

"The Quarian Government should have deactivated all the Geth. It was their inaction that allowed for the Geth's Primordial Code to keep decaying and for their programming to evolve beyond our simulations and expectations… the government, differently to what we had predicted, was unable to fight off their own people, who were so reluctant to let go of their culture and were blinded in their pride and- and love… I suppose that it was their own empathy and emotions what doomed them.

"I don't know what to say… as an Asari, I have always advocated on love as an ultimate means to peace and progress… and yet it was the love of the quarians to their own creations, to the very same beings they moulded with their own hands, which doomed them. How were we supposed to know that the Geth were treated as family members rather than slaves? So many quarians were so unwilling to understand what was going on, thinking that their own government was only being bigoted against synthetics – or Goddess forbid, some kind of Pro-Council traitors - that they allowed for their own demise to reside inside their own homes.

"I would really like to think that this was a tragedy just waiting to happen, but I can't deny I was at fault here. Perhaps everything that happened was. My team was the one who created the programs through which we managed to alter the Primordial Code. We really thought we had managed to understand Geth programming… but even then, we failed to understand the Collective. Through our intervention, the Geth achieved a level of connection beyond our wildest nightmares, all thanks to new logical pathways unlocked without the Primordial Code, through which they gained sentiency…

"Could we have told the quarians? Yes, we could have, but it would have been pointless. The Quarians, most of them at least, had always been suspicious of the Council – I supposed I can now see why -, and by then their government knew that the Primordial Code was corrupted and the situation was worsening. If anything, there was nothing left to say.

"In the end, it was the Quarians' own lack of resolve, their inability to destroy the Geth that were clearly corrupted beyond their original creation, what caused their downfall. I would have never thought that love could blind you in such a way… or that the Geth would be unable to see the quarians as anything other than a looming threat. The Quarian government HAD tried to eradicate the Geth, and that was before the Geth gained proper sentiency. If stands to logic that the Geth understood that there was a chance that, if quarians were given the chance, they would be eradicated. Moreover, as now growing sentient beings, they had to forge their own path without masters, even if it was in the blood of their creators.

"So… this is it… the last record on the Quarians. This is Agent Jaileena's last recording and… Goddess forgive me."

Silence.

Shepard stared at the projector, speechless. He didn't react nor did he move. He merely… stared. His mind was just as blank as his face, without any hint of emotion or reaction. After all, how was he even supposed to react? At the moment, he couldn't feel a thing other than sadness. There was no outrage, or anger, almost as if he had half expected this to happen.

The Council was behind the Geth uprise. For some reason, the thought didn't make Shepard's blood boil. Rather, it filled the Commander's heart with sorrow. In their attempts to force the Quarians to open up and join the Galactic community, a heavily misguided agent of the Council planned the means to remove the Geth from the Quarians, or rather have the Quarians themselves remove the Geth and force the Quarians to live without their servants.

Truth to be told, Shepard had expected something like the Council fearing the Quarians for potential use of the Geth as a conquering, easily-replaceable and scalable army. Or for the Council to fear the Geth to such point they sought to undo them and failed. Better yet, Shepard had wanted to hear a report about their lack of intervention, or something to hint at Sovereign. What Shepard expected was for some more evil intent, some villain that had planned it all from the shadows… but no, the truth was far too tragic to be true. A misguided Asari who truly believed that progress came in the form of cooperation and openness and a people who had were too attached to their creations… he had never seen either of them coming together in such morbid tragedy.

As the old saying goes, the road to hell is paved with good intentions. Everything that could go wrong did, and the Quarians paid the price. The Council was at fault, but to some degree… so were the Quarians. It was a hard pill to swallow but, as Shepard had to remember, not everything is clear cut in life.

Shepard sighed as he turned around, despondently staring at the floor. This was not what he had wanted to hear or learn in regards the Morning War.

"Shepard" Thane called. "Are you alright?"

The Commander took a deep breath, before nodding at the Drell. "Yes, just… thinking" he replied, uncertain.

"I understand you will require time to process what we've discovered today, Shepard" Thane ruefully said, "but we don't have enough time to spare… and there is much you need to be told. I doubt there will be another opportunity like this".

"Why?" Shepard asked, frowning at Thane. "Why are you telling me now… here? Couldn't you have told me what you had to ages ago?"

"Trust me, Shepard, we couldn't" Kasumi sighed, strangely sobered. She was no longer playful or childish, but grim and worried. She placed a comforting hand on Shepard's shoulder as she looked at Thane. "Tell him, Thane. It's time he finally learns the truth".

Shepard gulped as his heart started racing. He looked at Thane, who seemed unsure if it was the right moment. They had, after all, just discovered the reason the Geth became sentient and the people responsible. That and the truth… it was bound to be world-crushing.

"First, Shepard, I need you to allow me to explain everything from beginning to end" Thane diplomatically and slowly stated, as if afraid that Shepard would blow up on them when told the Truth.

Shepard felt like he had been punched already, and he had yet to learn anything new. This was going to be bad, wasn't it? This had to be. He gulped as a hard lump formed on his throat. He felt his stomach churn painfully as his body braced for the revelation he was about to be told. Kasumi's hand remained steadfast on his shoulder, as if conjuring as much support for him as she could muster.

"Don't go crazy on us, alright? And trust us on this, we've done our research. If anything, you should have already realized the Truth" Kasumi grimly remarked.

"Just…" Shepard whispered, feeling like he was about to get sick. "Just tell me already" he begged, weakly looking down at the floor.

Thane and Kasumi traded weary expressions. This was it.

"Shepard…" Thane slowly started saying, much to the Commander's growing desperation. "There is a lot we need to tell you… but I'll start with the most impactful piece of information, one you need for your safety and for our success against the Reapers…" he paused, fearful "are you prepared?"

"No" Shepard murmured, starting to shake. He could feel it already, and he just wanted it all over with. This was going to be the worst revelation to date. He just knew it. "But just do it" he gulped, terrified.

"Shepard…" Thane started "the Crucible is a Reaper trap… and your friend, Liara, is Indoctrinated".

* * *

 **Author Notes: *Evil Cackle***

 **So... what do you think? Did anyone see this one coming? I'd really like to know what you think.**

 **On the next chapter everything will be fully explained, particularly how the last reveal plays in what has happened so far. Trust me, I foreshadowed this reveal.**

 **Thanks for reading and, please, review!**

 **The Emerald Commander**

 **PS: don't kill me yet! Just keep reading, alright?**


	25. Chapter XIII: Into the Maelstrom

**Chapter XIII: Into the Eye of the Maelstrom**

 _The grand sea… vast and magnificent. The wind caressed Shepard's face as he stared off into the horizon, atop a cliff. With fresh air coursing through his lungs, the Commander took a deep breath as the sun set far beyond. He smiled as he sighed with relief, eyeing the form wrapped under his arm and pressed against him. Just like the scenery, Tali was vibrantly beautiful._

 _Instead of her environmental suit, Tali was dressed like a devoted priestess, with light-blue tunic hugging her voluptuous frame. Her silky black hair draped her back as she rested her face on his chest, eyes closed. A smile decorated her face, blissful thoughts swirling in her mind._

 _Shepard was rather pleased with his own looks too. His skin was untouched, and he was free, no longer needing to be sealed in a suit. The touch of the elements on his body was amazing, as well as being able to wear a loose set of pants and shirt._

 _Everything was perfect… until it all changed. Suddenly, the sky turned red as a massive roar shook the world. The Commander gasp, wide-eyed, in shock as he looked up, to the bleeding heavens. Tali, terrified, embraced her lover in pursuit of safety. The ground and air stopped quivering… just as the sky slowly started to turn black. Crashing down from the clouds, like unimaginable nightmares, Reapers descended onto the world._

 _The Commander turned to Tali, to urge her to run to safety, only to realize she was gone. He looked around, glancing back at the massive dreadnaughts that blocked the sky. Fear settled in his heart as he looked around the cliff. Where was Tali? Where had she gone?_

 _"_ _Tali!" He called, horrified._

 _A deafening roar from above forced Shepard to close his eyes shut and press his hand against his ears. He looked up as the shadow of a massive Reaper fell over him._

 _"_ _Shepard!"_

 _The Commander snapped his head at the source, only to see Tali, in her environmental suit, calling for him far away. He didn't need to be told twice. He started running ahead, just as a humongous Reaper foot crashed the cliff. Tali waited for him, weakly smiling as he evaded certain death. Her face fell, however, only to be replaced with horror._

 _Shepard frowned, confused, only to look down onto his body. His skin was no longer smooth and untouched, but rather covered in nasty scars. Thick synthetic veins bulged across scorned flesh as they snaked in and out. Glowing blue, he shook his head as the implants twitched and moved, as if they were extensions of a parasite._

 _"_ _Shepard!" Tali called again, running to him._

 _He stepped forward, only to freeze, unable to control his movements. The quarian didn't seem to care as she rushed to him._

 _"_ _Come on!" She said as she reached his unmoving lover. "We have to leave before - URGH"_

 _Shepard felt his heart drumming against his chest as his hand shot off towards Tali's neck, clasping onto it and lifting the poor woman into the air. As she choked under the tight grasp of the man, Shepard was unable to look away from her terrified glowing eyes, burning with horror and sadness. He screamed inside, fighting with all his might against an unresponsive body. He tried to say something, but like the rest of his muscles, they moved on their own._

 _"_ _Terminating threat" a synthetic voice said, coming off from Shepard's lip._

 _Tali's eyes widened, her gaze begging Shepard to stop… but he couldn't. His hand, without permission, abruptly closed with a sudden burst of strength._

 _CRACK._

"Argh!" Shepard gasped as he shot off his bed, covered in sweat. He looked down at his shaking hands as they glowered red. His heart furiously pumped blood on his chest as it promised to jump off his chest at any moment with the rate it beat.

Gradually, the panting Commander managed to calm down, realizing it had all been a nightmare. He blinked a couple of times as he regained his breath. His cybernetics blurred as they returned to their original white. Surprised by the change, the man stared at the implants only to close his eyes. He took a deep soothing breath, before sighing despondently.

Shepard's attention was drawn by the form lying next to him. Deeply asleep, Tali peacefully mumbled something, ignorant of the state of her lover. He stared at her, amazed that she hadn't awoken. However, he was unable to look at her for long, as memories of her nightmare returned, unbidden. Tali's face…

The Commander left the bed, unable to cope with the haunting image, stuck in his head. He hurried over to the bathroom, where he proceeded to splash his head with cold water. He needed the chilling touch of the water to disperse his thoughts. Unfortunately, as he looked up at his reflection, thoughts were the only thing that coursed through his being.

Shepard stared at his reflection, from the white shinning eyes, to the many implants coursing through his skin. To think they had once been hidden… one entire Suicide Mission later and they had remained underneath the surface, bidding for their time. A hand absentmindedly trailed a particularly nasty-looking cybernetic. When had he become like this? How much of him was still a man?

He sighed, with tired defeat, before he splashed his face with more water. Unfortunately, as much as Shepard tried to calm down, he couldn't. It wasn't surprising. He had been restless since he had returned to the Normandy, unable to relax or calm himself. He might have offered a stoic or composed demeanour to his crew, but deep down he was afraid… and distraught.

 _"…_ _your friend, Liara, is Indoctrinated"_

Those words echoed in his mind, taunting him, urging him to fall deep into the dark realm of ruminations. He pinched the bridge of his nose as he lazily went over to the toilet. He needed to sit down…

He had been right: the Truth crashed his entire world. He had such a hard time believing such a preposterous statement… he remembered protesting, trying to argument that that was impossible, but Thane and Kasumi hadn't backed down.

How hadn't Shepard seen it? Had he been blind? Had he missed something? He wasn't sure. Perhaps he had ignored it. It must have been naïveté which led him to be unwilling to consider any of his close friends as Indoctrinated. Regardless, the truth was that Liara had been Indoctrinated some time now.

When? How? It hadn't taken long for Shepard to connect the dots himself with a little push from Kasumi and Thane. After all, Shepard already knew that the Hanar had, in their midst, a series of Reaper artefacts, some of which were thought to be like the ones found on Gellix. Moreover, he already knew that there were Indoctrinated Hanar on Kahje, given how he had actually stopped an Indoctrinated ambassador before that with Kasumi and Zaeed. When Liara had told Shepard that the Hanar had allowed her to study new Prothean Artefacts on Kahje after Cerberus attacked her at the Shadow Broker's hidden location, he should have worried about the faint possibility of Indoctrination.

Shepard had already been rather suspicious of the Crucible, but he had been unable to put much thought into it. As a matter of fact, he had occasionally forgotten that it was still under construction. He had been rather surprised by the timing of its discovery. Hadn't it been such an extraordinary coincide? The Reapers arrive just in time for this massive weapon to be discovered in the same archives humanity has been studying for decades… and, hey, this weapon works against the Reapers even though the Archives had NO MENTION of the Reapers. How had Liara known its purpose? Hell, how had she found it to begin with? Something that had allegedly been so well hidden through decades… found in a span of months?

Shepard should have realized how odd it was for Wrex not to want to let anything slip to Liara, how hostile Kasumi was to the asari or the fact three snipers tried to blow Liara's head on Gellix rather than anyone else… the reluctance of everyone involved with Cerberus to say anything now made a lot of sense. Liara wasn't just anyone: she was also the Shadow Broker, with ears and eyes everyone. Cerberus couldn't risk the Reapers discovering, through Liara, that Cerberus was aware of the Crucible's true nature.

No, Shepard had been well aware that the Reapers purposely left caches of technology for other species to find, catalysing their technological progress in the path they desired. So, with that in mind… why in the world would they leave behind the means to their own destruction hidden in the Archives? What, the Reapers forgot to remove it? It was preposterous to believe that nation-worth of intelligence and technological advancement could have make such humongous oversight. Moreover, wasn't it suspicious that the Crucible had not only been hidden in the Human Prothean Archives but also the ones of the Hanar? What a coincidence!

After the report on Gellix, why hadn't Shepard wondered if the Reapers weren't already using artefacts like the one used to Indoctrinate unsuspecting scientists right from the beacons' discoveries? The answer would have been obvious: because the Reapers had already been using them. Moreover, the fact they could activate and deactivate suggested that the Reapers might have remotely control them, somehow, to time the Indoctrination.

It was through Indoctrination that anyone would have found the Crucible, hidden in the Archives. Else there was the risk that the Crucible would have been built too early, or not at all. Through Indoctrination, the Reapers made sure scientists and archaeologists, unknowingly studying active Reaper artefacts that could hide amongst Prothean tech and lay dormant until the right time, could deliver the Crucible to the governments.

Shepard sighed, shaking his head. Was it any surprise Cerberus sent Eva Core, an android that couldn't get Indoctrinated, to Mars rather than a human spy? Or why they were hell-bent on wiping out entire research teams and personnel both on Mars and Eden Prime? Why they were more invested on killing people rather than actually taking valuable artefacts?

Cerberus, months before the Arrival, had discovered that, somehow, scientists were getting Indoctrinated even when no Reaper Artefacts were being studied. This is what happened with Doctor Brynn and her colleagues. It was thus not surprising Cerberus was able to understand the hidden threat amongst Prothean ruins and artefacts… including the caches left by the Reapers.

The Commander could finally say he understood Cerberus' motivations, or at least most of them. The attack on the Citadel was a rather bold and foolish move from his perspective, but according to Thane, it had its purposes. The Illusive Man had intended for the Alliance to take the hit for the attack and for humanity to fall from grace with the Council, both with the treachery of Udina and the inability of the Alliance to stop a so-called terrorist organization from becoming such massive entity. The Council, as always, had a bad habit of alienating those they perceived as having erred them and such alienation would have obviously played to Cerberus' favour.

There was also the fact Cerberus popularity fed on them being a rallying force for all factions that opposed the Council. The attack in of itself had a symbolic meaning to: it established Cerberus as a credible threat and it shattered the false sense of security at the Citadel.

More importantly, Thane and Kasumi didn't exactly sweeten the Illusive Man's ambitions or try to excuse other less altruistic motives. The Illusive Man might have had the best interests for humanity, but he also wanted for the Council to fall and for Cerberus to grow more powerful, even at the expense of innocent lives. In his eyes, the Council was too incompetent to be allowed to survive the Reaper invasion. The Illusive Man was, after all, ruthless, rather detach of the horrors he inflicted in the name of progress, regardless how justified. To think otherwise would only be stupid, or naive. It wasn't like he had a change of heart… as if that would ever happen.

The Commander stood up, shaking his head bitterly as he left the bathroom. Calmer than before, he stretched a bit as he looked at the resting form of Tali. While he endured the torturous haunting memory of his nightmare, the Quarian peacefully carried on in the realm of dreams. Shepard grimaced, once again reminded of his vivid, terrifying nightmare. Truth to be told, he didn't exactly feel like going to sleep any time soon.

The man pinched the bridge of his nose as he stood there, in the middle of his cabin, unsure what to do. He could always write down reports for Hackett, read the most recent updates or try to manage some of the ship's finances, which EDI thankfully had kept going without his careful eye. Groaning with exasperation, Shepard realized he needed to find a hobby. What could he do?

The answer came to him as he glanced at his hands. His glowing white eyes immediately jumped onto the cybernetic implants, recalling the events that transpired at the Citadel Archives. The whole Matrix-like experience had been disorienting. At the same time, Shepard couldn't stop being amazed by such ability. He had found and accessed one of the best kept secrets thanks to the Geth upgrades. How else could he use the upgrades? Could he interact with other pieces of technology? Could he even interact with EDI?

Intrigued by the idea, Shepard hummed. He glanced at Tali and then at the door. She would probably understand… probably. With a smile, Shepard went over by the entrance and suited up. Before he left, though, he studied Tali's sleeping form, as if afraid something would happen if he didn't look at her frequently enough. Then, hesitantly, he left the cabin.

The trip to the AI Room was quick. The Mess Hall had a couple of crewmates who seemed untroubled by the presence of their commander while the Med Bay was empty. Dr Chakwas and Dr Michele were nowhere to be seen, probably at the Citadel for shore leave or asleep in one of the beds at the crew quarters. The AI Core Room, though, wasn't empty.

"Greeting, Shepard" EDI impassively greeted the Commander as he walked in.

EDI was just… standing there, hands behind her, as if she had been caught thinking privately. The Commander frowned at the android, curious to know what she had been up to. Clad in an ironed and neatly cleaned uniform, with her ever-present side cap, she was unchanged.

"EDI… what are you up to?" He asked, intrigued.

"Scanning my programming for glitches" She replied. She tilted her head, curious "what do you require, Shepard?"

"I am rather restless at the moment, so I thought I could try something out – but I can always return later" Shepard answered.

"There is no need" EDI hummed, turning to the man and smiling.

The Commander, for the umpteenth time, was impressed by how close she was able to mimic humans. However, this time, he actually bothered to question the android. How was she able to do so? Programs? That was likely. EDI had known how to act like a living organic since she acquired the body…

All of a sudden, Shepard remembered Eva Core. As an android, she had been repurposed to serve as a spy for Cerberus that couldn't get Indocrinated. However, if Cerberus had justification for their actions, couldn't Eva Core have tried to share the information she had with EDI? Shepard blinked at the waiting form of the android.

 _Wait a minute… what if EDI knew that Liara was Indoctrinated all along?_ Shepard mused. Suddenly, EDI's attempts to keep Liara apart from Shepard made a lot of more sense than before and answered many questions that had been left unanswered.

Shepard blinked, dumbfounded, at the android. Was EDI the Cerberus spy? It could be. Rather than being hacked or manipulated, EDI could very well be voluntarily assisting Cerberus. He suddenly frowned.

 _No, it can't be just EDI…_ he thought. _There are bound to be other spies… but who?_ He eyed the android, who stared at him, patient. _Maybe I could use these upgrades to find out…_

"EDI, I might need your help for something" Shepard told the AI.

"Of course, Shepard" she eagerly replied, moving to stand right in front of the Commander. "What do you require?" She inquired with earnest.

The Commander hummed as he opened and closed his hands, studying them. He smirked before looking up at EDI's body.

"Please, stay still" he said.

The android tilted her head, showing her confusion. By then, Shepard had closed his eyes and concentrated. How had he activated his upgrades the first time? It had been Kasumi's doing… but how? How had she done? Had she interfaced with his cybernetics? Was that even possible for an omni-tool? Instead of more thinking, though, Shepard decided to try to draw in the sensation, the memory of how it felt.

All of a sudden, he felt it. His body shook uncomfortably, as if electrocuted, and he opened his eyes. As before, he was staring into an entirely new world. His now shinning green eyes locked impassively at EDI, who kept staring at Shepard. Without a word spoken, the Commander raised a hand to touch EDI's forehead. EDI, with her eyes following the movement of her hand, stepped forward, the open palm landing on her cheek and cupping her face.

Shepard's eyes widened as new information poured into him…

* * *

"Are you sure they are going to be here?" Jacob asked for the umpteenth time. With his arms folded and a scowl on his face, he seemed anxiously impatient next to Miranda.

While Jacob wore an Alliance crew jumpsuit, Miranda opted for her white skin-tight suit reminiscent of her time on Cerberus. She was, thus, an odd sight as they stood outside Bay D24 security checkpoint. The dark-skinned man did so by leisurely leaning against a wall while Miranda patiently waited, arms behind her, like a boot camp sergeant about to address the poor recruits under her.

"They will" Miranda replied, stoic. Her ice blue eyes turned to Jacob. "Do you doubt my abilities?" She smirked coldly at the man.

"I've learned not to a long time ago" the man grunted. He shook his head nonetheless as he rolled his eyes, amused by the familiar exchange.

Miranda, smug, turned to look at the elevator. Her haughty smile only grew as the doors to the lift slid open. She glanced at Jacob who huffed, indignant. Stomping out of the elevator, came a familiar Krogan.

Clad in grey heavy plated armour and with pearl blue eyes, Urdnot Grunt was, even amongst Krogan, fearsome, both in the mere girth of his arms as the bulk of his frame. There was also an intimidating predatory smile on his face that did little to ease Jacob's worries. He was also younger than any Krogan both humans remembered ever seeing, with his plates over his head still forming and his hump shorter and far less pronounced than his older counterparts. All in all, it was the same Grunt that they both remember.

"Urdnot Grunt" Miranda haughtily called with a curt nod. "Good" she added "you are on time".

"Only the weak are late" Grunt sadistically chuckled as he towered over Miranda. He looked around before he sniffed the air. "Shepard isn't here" he noted, inquisitively turning to the woman.

"He is preparing for the debriefing" Jacob told the powerful Krogan. With a sheepish smile, he added "it's good to see you".

"Of course it's good to see me" Grunt huffed, grinning sardonically. "If Shepard calls, then you are going to need of my strength". As if to make a point, he flexed his muscles. "I'm glad to serve, Second Commander" he creepily smile at Miranda, who smirked back with shared sadism.

"You certainly haven't changed much" muttered the dark-skinned man.

"Don't mind Jacob" Miranda, without a hint of an emotion, told the Krogan. "You are being expected at the Normandy. Before you go there, what did you bring with you?" She queried, rising an eyebrow.

"My shotgun, my loyalty, my courage and my power" Grunt harshly declared, smirking as he drew his massive Krogan Shotgun. "More than enough" he chuckled with a psychotic glint on his eyes.

"Noted" Miranda coldly remarked. She casually pointed behind her with a thumb and with delicate and deceptive femininity. "Report to EDI".

Grunt flexed his arms again before he stomped across a pair of startled (and terrified) C-Sec officers. Jacob followed him with his eyes before glaring at Miranda.

"Is it really a good idea to have a crazy-ass psychopath of a Krogan on board?" He hissed at the woman.

"Don't worry, it's only until we can throw him into battle" Miranda smirked sadistically as she faced the elevator door. She glanced at Jacob with a taunting smile "You shouldn't worry, Jacob. He is fervently loyal to Shepard".

Jacob didn't respond, only shaking his head and muttering something about Normandy's crazy lot. It was at that moment that the elevator door opened once again. This time, five tall Asari marched out. Jacob had to make a double take before he could believe his eyes. Headed towards them, and leading four other Justicars, was Samara. However, differently from last time, she was clad in golden armour.

With bright gold shoulder-pads over a tight set of armour, Samara was almost unrecognizable with so much skin covered under plates of golden metal. She also had a helmet made of the same material that stretched out over her head tentacles and wrapped around her head, leaving her eyes and mouth exposed. She seemed ready for a fight as did her fellow Justicars, although they might have been more fitting for a Greek myth than modern warfare. With water-blue eyes, Samara stared into Miranda's, something unspoken exchanged with a mere glance, something chilling no doubt.

The five newcomers walked straight towards Miranda, only to stop a pair of feet away. They stayed there, acting almost like machines and mirroring the former female Cerberus operative.

"Samara" Miranda greeted with a curt nod.

"Agent Lawson" Samara replied in a dull monotone with a stiff nod of her own.

"Anything you wish to bring to the ship?" Miranda queried, noticing none of the Justicars brought anything other than handguns and SMGs.

"We only require sustenance and a place of meditation. Anything else is unnecessary" Samara informed the woman.

"You are free to occupy Starboard Observation" Miranda hummed.

Samara nodded once again before marching past Miranda, followed closely by her robot-like companions. They didn't even spare a glance of interest at Miranda or Jacob, focused on the path ahead. Jacob stared at the backs of the departing Justicars as they went past shocked and baffled C-Sec Officers (by this point they had to be wondering what was going on at the Normandy).

Jacob whistled, amused, as he shook his head. He chuckled. "They really are your kind of people" he commented.

"They are exactly what we need" Miranda huffed, smirking at Jacob. "We must return to the ship" she declared. "Our business out here is complete".

"You sure there aren't any other crazies you want to bring in?" Jacob scoffed.

"Oh, I have a complete list" Miranda stated. "But we don't have the time to gather them all".

Jacob paused, blinking at the woman, who stared back at him with a sincere, impassive face. He frowned at her. "You are kidding, aren't you?" He wondered.

Miranda raised an eyebrow at him before turning around and marching after the Justicars and Grunt. Jacob stared at the elevator, paling. She wasn't kidding.

* * *

"Lieutenant Commander Williams"

The woman in question grumbled as she heard EDI's voice echoing across the Port Observation. Muttering, she struggled to sit up straight. A groan escaped her lips as she felt her sore body protest, almost screaming her to stop moving. Why was her head spinning? She looked around, fighting a wave of dizziness.

"Wow, EDI, tone it down…" she wheezed with a hoarse voice.

Where was she? Ah, right, Port Observation… then why was she so… ah… her eyes wandered off to the mini-bar, glaring at the blasted thing. She groaned, falling back onto the couch indignantly. She couldn't believe she had actually gone overboard with her drinking!

"Urgh…" a muffled voice grumbled nearly.

Ashley frowned, surprised, and leaned over the back of the couch only to find the sprawled form of Kal'Reegar, snoring, on the floor. It was such a strange sight that the woman couldn't help but stare at the vulnerable Quarian.

"Lieutenant Commander Williams, the debriefing will begin in half an hour" EDI informed the woman.

"Half an hour?" Ashley's eyes widened. She groaned yet again, this time with embarrassment. How had she forgotten about the blasted debriefing? "What did I miss?" She slurred, only to blush. This was ridiculous.

"We have rendezvoused with the Quarians and the Admirals are preparing to board" the AI replied. "I suggest you take a bath, Lieutenant Commander, as well as assist Kal'Reegar".

"Thanks… I guess" Ashley sighed despondently. With a grimace, she spotted a large bottle of whiskey lying by the floor. She had really done it this time… "I think I might need something for my headache".

"Should I inform Dr Chakwas?" EDI wondered.

"No, no, it's fine" Ashley hurried to say before she groaned, in pain, due to a particularly strong migraine. "Unless they have some miracle pill or something to remove this headache" she bitterly added.

"Lieutenant Vega has taken the last medication against hangovers" EDI reported with a saddened tone.

 _Guess I'm not the only one who needed a drink_ , Ashley mentally scoffed. Guiltily, she looked at Kal'Reegar one more time. She quickly turned her gaze towards the darkness outside the open window, grimacing with shame. Frustrated, she sighed.

"I guess we are running out of time…" Ashley muttered.

She got to her feet and went over to Kal'Reegar. The woman knelt by his side and, carefully, shook the drunk quarian. Unmoving, the only sign of life coming from the alien marine were a series of grunts and groans that appeared to be of protest… although Ashley wasn't sure. He might have been mumbling something. It was only then that she realized that she didn't have her helmet on.

"Where's the Geth at…?" Slurred the quarian as he looked at Ashley. The two locked gazes, after which he narrowed his eyes at her, baffled. "Ash?" He stupidly asked, as if he had forgotten all about her.

"Yes, Kal" Ashley huffed, irritated. "Come on, big guy, we've got a debriefing in less than half an hour".

Kal'Reegar's response was to groan as he banged his head against the floor. Ashley smiled at the quarian, amused by his reaction.

"Remind me never to 'casually drink' with you…" he muttered.

"Don't be such a wuss" she chuckled. "Come on, soldier, up your feet".

"Aye, aye, ma'am" Kal'Reegar grunted as he tried to stand up. Ashley, taking pity for the clearly dishevelled marine, helped him up. Sadly, he wasn't exactly sober and wobbled as he moved. "Keelah!" He swore as Ashley kept him standing.

It was a sickly looking Kal'Reegar and pained Ashley who reached the War Room twenty minutes later. They appeared somewhat presentable, having managed to clean themselves up a bit. Admittedly, a good shower could be rejuvenating. It also helped that Kal was a good actor too, by the looks of it.

The War Room was, surprisingly, full of people by the time they arrived. Never before had they seen the allegedly wasteful room with such number of individuals, nor with such strange variety. The Quarian Admirals were already bickering with each other about this or that while, behind them, a small contingent of Quarian marines wearily looked at Legion at the opposite side of the room. Surrounding the Geth were Liara T'Soni, a very reluctant Javik, James Vega (who had bags under his eyes) and Jacob. Nyreen wasn't far from them, pacing anxiously. At the female turian's side, leaning against the railing bordering around the projector, was a demure Garrus Vakarian, recently returned from Palaven. The gathered Justicars and the Krogan present weren't just visible but also extremely hard to miss. Miranda Lawson and Tali were discussing something in an undertone near the Communication Room. It must have been important if the way they waved their hands was anything to go by.

"Garrus… when did you return?" Ashley awkwardly asked the turian as she went to stand next to him.

The turian, his face hidden under his helmet, turned to the female marine before his attention was drawn back to the projector. "About ten hours ago…" he replied. With an amused tone, he added "I've heard someone was out of the count by then".

Ashley blinked at Garrus. Had she already blackened out by then? Damned… she really had to be more careful about her drinking.

"It sounded like you needed to drown your woes" Garrus offered with something akin to understanding. His tone was bitter, yet also reluctant, as if unwilling to show too much about his own worries yet trying to be supportive.

"Yeah…" Ashley sheepishly mumbled as she scratched the nape of her neck.

From the corner of her eyes she noticed Kal'Reegar moving to stand next to his fellow quarian marines. Their eyes met briefly, only for both of them to avert their gazes abruptly.

"You sound like you could do with a drink or two" Ashley remarked with forced levity. She didn't feel amused enough to be sincere.

"Don't we all?" Garrus retorted.

The two fell into an awkward silence, without an organic topic to develop. Rather, they studied the strange mass of people across the War Room. You could only find such odd mixture at the Normandy, from Quarian high officials to a massive dangerous Krogan… and let's not forget the Prothean and unshackled AI. To think they were close to the great battle for Rannoch. Soon, they would liberate the planet from the Reapers…

The door to the War Room swished open and everyone quieted down. Heads snapped at the threshold, quiet, as heavy footsteps echoed across chamber. Commander Shepard looked as dangerous and intimidating as always, clad in his pitch-black armour. With glowing white eyes cutting through his shaded visor, he stared dead ahead as he walked around the projector and right to Tali's side, followed by none other than EDI. There, he took a moment to glance at the gathered audience who in turn stared at the man, expectant.

Shepard leaned back, his arms moving behind him as he proudly and stoutly stood before his comrades and allies.

"The time has come" he boldly declared. "We are going to liberate Rannoch".

Ashley was not the only one who felt the tension rise in the room. Garrus looked sideways, uncomfortable, as did James. The quarians, though, appeared more anxious and determined than ever while the Justicars remained impassive. The female marine had to admit that there was something intimidating from those asari, something she hadn't seen in others of their kind – maybe it was the badass armour or the coldness they oozed. Grunt… Grunt looked like he excitedly wanted the battle to begin.

The projector came to life and a massive image materialized on top, shining with blue translucence. Tall structures rose around what looked like a circular blast door as the terrain formed in one single wave of holographic light. It was Diniel's hiding place.

"As we already know, as long as Diniel remains functional the Geth will be under the complete control of the Reapers. If Diniel is destroyed, it is likely the Geth will regain their freedom" Shepard started explaining, his tone professional and serious. "However…" he looked at Legion "we must prepared in the case they are not". After a weary sigh, he carried on. "They've been under the control of the Reapers for a long time now, and they could have rewritten the Geth entirely, changing them in order to serve their interests".

"Our investigations on the Shannae server suggests otherwise, Shepard-Commander" Legion interrupted. "The Old Machines haven't altered our core programming".

"It's been some time since then, Legion" Shepard replied, sympathetic to the artificial lifeform. "In any case…" he turned to address everyone "our top priority has always been to destroy Diniel. Problem is, he is currently hiding". On the hologram, the large blast doors started glowing in a yellow light.

"Wise" Grunt scoffed sardonically.

"Orbital bombardment could do the job… but that would require ships to take positions in orbit… positions currently held by a Geth Armada of a size we have never seen before" Shepard continued, ignoring his Krogan friend. "The Quarians could fight their way there" he nodded at the eager Quarians "but it would be a slaughter as the Geth outnumber the Quarian Heavy Fleet six to one and there is no telling what upgrades the Geth have received from the Reapers. More importantly, for all we know, there are more Geth ships elsewhere that could jump in when needed. Thus, we require of a small infiltration force to do the trick".

"Wow, Loco, _me estás jodiendo_? How is a small infiltration force supposed to destroy a big ass Reaper?" Inquired a mystified James. "It's nuts!"

"The Infiltration team will not destroy Diniel, Lieutenant" Shepard coldly hissed the man, squinting angrily at James. The bulky marine, in turn, shrunk back at the admonishment. "The purpose of the Infiltration team will be to draw Diniel into the open for the Normandy to finish him off".

"How do you intend to draw Diniel out, Commander?" Liara asked.

"Through my upgrades" Shepard stated. One of the massive structures on the hologram started glowing while the blast door returned to its original dead blue. "In that structure we should find a console that will expose Diniel to us, or at least to the Normandy. We move in, I open the blast doors and the Normandy does the rest".

"Sounds a bit… too easy, Commander" Jacob grimaced.

"Indeed" Shepard dryly chuckled. "There are entire armies of Geth all around Diniel. Thus, we will require of a distraction to clear the way to the console". The hologram's image shrunk, exposing a large of arid land annexed to the sea where one could spot Diniel's hiding spot at the very centre.

"Operation Odin will consist on five teams luring the Geth away from the main stronghold. They'll serve as a distraction". Five blood red orbs popped into existence at five equidistant spots from the blast doors. They were scattered away from the Geth structures, perhaps a mile or so.

"Wouldn't the distractions get blown apart from orbit?" Nyreen wondered, afraid of such suicidal prospects. "The Geth could easily spot us from above and destroy us without risking ground forces".

"Yes, and as a matter of fact the Geth could easily coordinate their defences from afar and spot all teams if they wanted" Shepard nodded. "However, we will be visiting Rannoch under very special circumstances". The hologram changed into a representation of Rannoch just as Shepard walked closer to the projector. "See this?" He pointed at what looked like a humongous cloud "this is a large storm gathering… and it's moving right towards Diniel's hiding place".

"We are going to assault Diniel in the middle of a storm?!" Ashley gasped.

She had never heard about a more dangerous and foolish thing to do. While ideal for infiltrations, in theory, storms always played against you, reducing visibility, messing up with your ability to move or detect enemies and so forth. Moreover, there was a lot of room for things to go wrong under a storm, from accidents to mishaps.

"The clouds will cover the distraction teams' location while the rain will impair the Geth defences. If timed correctly, we would have more than enough time for the teams to set up the distractions" Shepard continued as the hologram changed form once again. This time, Rannoch shifted into what looked like a massive nuclear bomb… a familiar sight for Ashley.

"Are those… nuclear bombs?" Jacob wondered, blinking dumbfounded at the projection.

"EMPs, actually" Admiral Daro'Xen haughtily offered. "Modified and ready for delivery. Once they explode, they will ionize the storm and disrupt the Geth's entire communication network. It would literally shield the Reaper from the Geth in orbit".

"I've never heard of such bombs before" hummed a sceptical Miranda, as she raised a frosty eyebrow at Daro'Xen. "Are you certain they are going to work? There won't be room for error".

Ashley too was a bit perplexed by those EMP bombs or how they worked. She had never seen or heard about them, like Miranda. As a matter of fact, the stance of the Alliance on EMPs basically came down to: sounds good but it's stupid. EMPs, after all, were more prone to hurt your own forces than enemies, not to mention how limited they were for battle… then again, there had been many technological leaps in the last months driven by retro-engineering of Reaper and Collector technology.

"We've already run the necessary tests" Shala'Raan interceded with a tone imbued with wisdom. "They shall not fail".

"Going back to the plan" Shepard stepped in. The hologram changed back into the large open field with the Geth stronghold at the centre. "With five EMPs around Diniel's position we'll create an iron curtain of sorts, shutting Diniel off the Geth".

"We can block Reaper tech like that?" Ashley cautiously whispered to Garrus.

"We shouldn't be able to…" the turian grimly replied.

Ashley frowned. Shepard was bound to know that… but why was he so certain that the plan would succeed regardless? She eyed the Quarians, who didn't seem the least distressed… or questioning. It was almost as if they knew something that everyone else was ignorant about. Her eyes unwillingly went to Kal'Reegar, who proudly stood next to his brethren. Ashley bit her lower lip, looking back at the Commander. Why were the quarians just going along with such strange plan?

"This will allow my team to infiltrate the main structure of the Geth and reach the access consoles to Diniel" Shepard told them.

"How do you know about the existence of this console?" Tali wondered, confused.

"Legion claims that he found information on that on the Shannae server room" Shepard nodded at the Geth before looking at the rest. "Once Diniel has been revealed, the Normandy will start its assault and bomb the Reaper. Everyone will have to make a hasty retreat".

"How will the Normandy be able to pinpoint its target if we are to disrupt all communications through an ionized storm?" Miranda asked.

"I'll personally provide the targeting solution" Shepard replied.

"You are going to stay down there near a Reaper?!" Tali queried, disbelieving.

"Better question: how will you manage to load the targeting solution to the Normandy?" Ashley, having experience calibrating ground cannons, wondered.

"Shepard will be employing this device" EDI chimed in, gesturing to the projector. The hologram changed into a strange weapon of sort. It looked like a heavy weapon, yet at the same time everyone could see that it served other purposes. "It's a modified targeting weapon that should be able to cut through Reaper jamming technology".

"How did you develop such a thing?" Pondered Garrus, intrigued.

"Communication Specialist Samantha Traynor offered valuable insights in the means of overcoming Reaper jamming" EDI explained with a strange smile on her face. "With the added assistance of the best Quarian engineers, we were able to create this".

"I don't know, Shepard" Liara sighed, morose. "It sounds like a very dangerous plan… almost like our infiltration on the Krogan base of Tarug".

"A lot could go wrong" Nyreen added with a grim nod.

"Unfortunately, we are running out of time and we won't be able to do anything else, not unless the Turians and Alliance decide to assist us" Shepard replied. "Since that's not going to happen any time soon… we'll do with what he have and pray to whatever deities rule this land that it works".

"If we fail, it will be a glorious death" Grunt said as he puffed up his chest with a dangerous glint in his eyes.

"No need to fatalistic just yet" Shepard told the Krogan. "We've pulled through the impossible before. I'm hopeful will do so again".

"I don't know, Shepard" Garrus hummed, weary. "There's a lot of this plan that I don't quite agree on, the EMP bombs being just one of them".

"Trust me, Garrus, this will work" Shepard reassuringly said, nodding firmly at the turian.

Garrus wasn't convinced though. The room was filled with questions as the people gathered exchanged nervous looks.

"The storm will hit our target in approximately thirteen hours" Shepard told them. "I expect you to fully rest and prepare for this mission. Now, this will be how we'll organize the teams…" And with that, the debriefing was in full swing.

* * *

"Are you alright, Ma'am – I mean, Ash?" Kal'Reegar asked a thoughtful Ashley.

The woman in question was back at Port Observation, staring off into the mesmerizing purples and blues outside the large open windows. Her arms were wrapped around her body, as if cold – or afraid. The quarian studied her for a moment, taking in the admittedly alluring form of the female human, before he tentatively approached her to stand next to Ashley.

"Yes" Ashley mumbled, glancing at the quarian next to her. Her eyes quickly returned to the sight beyond the glass.

"You've been acting rather… off as of late" Kal'Reegar remarked with a suspicious hum. "Something IS troubling you".

Ashley sighed as her shoulders slumped. At the moment, she didn't look like a fierce warrior who had fought against many horrors. Instead, she appeared so… vulnerable. There was conflict in her stance, as if she was struggling with something from within.

"You could say that…" Ashley admitted with bite in her voice. "I'm – I'm kind of stuck between a rock and a hard place".

"That sounds as an uncomfortable position" jokingly commented the quarian.

"You could say that again" Ashley scoffed, amused. Her bout of mirth was short-lived, though, as her stance faltered under the burdening internal struggle. "There's something different about Shepard…" she offhandedly said.

"Yes, I've noticed" Kal'Reegar nodded, only to add "However, it could be a front. He IS about to lead us all into yet another suicide mission. He must be under extensive pressure".

"Yeah…" Ashley slowly replied, before looking at Kal'Reegar. It was no glance, yet it was not a stare. The conflict burned in her eyes. "So, how are you going to spend our last hours alive?"

"I'm not sure. I was planning on either praying or reading, but since the Starboard Observation room is filled with Asari warriors, I rather avoid that place" Kal'Reegar hummed as he thought about it. "What about you?" He turned towards the woman, immensely curious.

"I- I don't know…" Ashley spluttered, looking away. "This isn't my first suicide mission… but I just…"

"Something different about this one mission?" Kal'Reegar wondered, tilting his head.

Ashley bit her lower lip as she looked at Kal'Reegar, straight to his eyes like a hawk. "Yes" she confessed resolutely, only to look away.

Kal'Reegar blinked a couple of times, perplexed, before he hesitantly turned to look at the spectacle of lights outside.

"Is this… thing… the source of your troubles?" Kal'Reegar queried, troubled.

"In a way…" Ashley murmured in response, saddened. She closed her eyes, shaking her head as she sighed with exasperation. "Look, Kal, this isn't your fault. Things are just too damned complicated and – and…" she said only to groan, frustrated, turning to face Kal'Reegar. "So much has changed and so much is happening it's just – it's just…" she trailed off, unable to finish her line of thought.

Kal'Reegar nodded in an understanding. He then proceeded to morosely sigh while Ashley awkwardly looked away.

"Are you… eh… up for a drink?" Ashley softly inquired, uncertain.

Kal'Reegar turned towards her with a cautious glint in his eyes. "I hope you don't suggest anything like last time" he grumbled.

"Of course not" she chuckled sheepishly. "It's just to… well… pass the time…" she added weakly.

The quarian glanced at the window, only to nod. "Might as well" he shrugged.

* * *

The normal crewmates of the Normandy had all gotten used to the ship's oddities. Above all, they had learned to keep most – if not all – of it secret. Not that anyone would believe them anyway. There was a live Prothean who walked across the ship, scowling at everything and everyone. There was an actual android, full with an AI and everything, that commanded them. Then there were the other aliens, which most of the crew were just having hard time getting used to. Between Turians and quarians, many just didn't know what to make out of everything. Imagine how it was with the added Krogan and Justicars...

Now Legion, on the other hand, was something of a mystery to most. Many people treated him with suspicion, or even derisively. How could they not? Hadn't the Geth been the first to align with the Reapers only to backtrack on their decision (as far as they know)? Weren't they the first to attack Eden Prime and ravage its people? No, many were awfully sceptical about the synthetic being. Thus, it was no surprise that as he walked out of the elevator, Legion was greeted with squints and cautious glares.

Legion, being Legion, ignored it all and merely marched onwards right towards Liara's room. He didn't even have to wait outside, with the door swishing open as he approached. As expected, the asari was busy behind a computer, her face cold and calculative.

"Is everything ready?" She asked Legion, turning towards him.

"Yes, we have prepared the upgrades for the Geth. They should be ready for transmission and installation" Legion reported back. "We have a problem" he added.

"What problem?" Liara frowned at the synthetic, tilting her head.

"The Enhanced Defence Intelligence" Legion declared. "We must be cautious in regards to her connection with Shepard-Commander. His recent meeting with her are worthy of note".

"EDI doesn't know anything, Legion. There is nothing she could say to convince Shepard" Liara pointed out. "And even if Shepard does get suspicious of our intentions, I doubt he can stop us".

"It would require only to render this body inactive to stop upload of upgrades" Legion replied.

"Don't worry" Liara smirked at the Geth. "We won't be alone on this" she added with a knowing look. "We have some allies that will help us".

Legion didn't comment. He stared at Liara, before looking at the computers. The future of his people resided on his omni-tool now and he would do everything in his power to stop the Creators from eradicating them. However, he was rather curious about these… allies. Who would actually be bold enough to assist them oppose Shepard-Commander?

* * *

 **Author Note: another chapter in and we are reaching the end of the second act of this story... one which extended further than planned.**

 **Even though I know very few actually bother, please, review! Your opinion is always appreciated and I really want to know how you think the story has progressed (because, darn, it really has been a long road, hasn't it?)  
**

 **Next: the Battle for Rannoch.**


	26. Chapter XIV: The Battle For Rannoch

**Chapter IV: Battle for Rannoch**

The cabin was quiet. Or at least, Shepard could only hear the faint hum of the engine. If he truly concentrated, though, he was certain he could make out the sound of the air filters. As it was, however, there was only peace. As he stood by the entrance, leaning against the wall, he studied his cabin… his home. Oddly enough, the man felt rather nostalgic at the moment – feeling like reminiscing about his time in that particular room.

The Commander looked up at the ceiling and walls, eyes going over the colourful fishes swimming in their tank and the few artefacts Shepard had gathered on a coffee table. Absentmindedly, he sauntered forward, a smile creeping on his face. His steps were lighter, almost soundless, as he wore only his Alliance jumpsuit. To his right, he spotted his desk, his computer and his ship models. Everything was noticeably clean, thoroughly polished thanks to a rather diligent EDI.

Shepard walked down a handful of steps down to his bed. With a saddened smile, he stroke the made bed only to sigh. He sat down on the mattress, allowing for the material to give in under his weight, before he could gaze at his cabin once again. It was in such meditative pose that Tali found the Commander as she walked into the room, much to her surprise.

The quarian paused, baffled by the distant look on her lover's face. It worried her.

"Shepard?" She softly called as she pulled back her hood. She walked towards the Commander, removing her visor.

"Hmmm?" He hummed, the same look stuck on his face. Why were his eyes staring at something to far into the horizon?

"Is everything… alright?" Tali wondered as she sat next to him.

Instead of saying anything, Shepard took a deep breath, looking down at his bare hands. Tali didn't insist. Rather, she looked at him, patient. For a very brief moment, there was no Commander Shepard: there was only a man with the weight of the Galaxy on his shoulders. There was immense tiredness and weariness etched on his skin, and his pose. This was a man who couldn't wait for the time the burden could be removed from him.

"Today's the day" he sighed solemnly. Shepard turned towards the female quarian, a funny smile forming on his lips. "Today we liberate Rannoch… your home-world".

Tali stared at Shepard, before she gulped. "Yes…" she murmured, feeling the gravity of the momentous event.

"Have you thought what you'll do after we take Rannoch?" He inquired calmly.

Tali glanced at the man, only to look away, uncertain. "I haven't…" she admitted. "I never thought this day would come". Her hands instinctively clasped together as she nervously started wringing her hands. "What would you want me to do?" She asked, nervous.

"I want you to be happy, Tali" Shepard told her with a sad smile. "If you want to stay on Rannoch and help your people, I'll understand. You are an Admiral now. You have taken on a great responsibility".

Tali remained quiet as she thought about it. Her shoulders slumped and as her eyes dimmed with sorrow. Shepard sighed again and took one of her hands.

"Whatever you chose, Tali, I'll support you" he said. "And I'll always love you".

Tali looked at him, worried by his sober and grim tone. It sounded almost like he expected to die in that day. "Something is troubling you" she noticed.

"A lot is troubling me, actually" he confessed wryly. "Sometimes I just fear everything is falling apart around me… that everything I thought was one way is gone… and everything that I built is slowly being torn to pieces…"

Tali didn't know how to reply to such heartfelt confession. Moreover, she wasn't sure if she knew what exactly he meant. Could he meant what he had fought for thus far, like the Alliance and Cerberus? Could it be the friendships he thought that they would last? Or was it how hopeless the War against the Reapers seemed to be at times?

"Today…" he said, locking his eyes onto hers "everything changes." Towards the door far beyond, with a grimace, he added "for better or for worse…"

Tali frowned, unsure if she was following what Shepard was saying. Sadly, she never got the chance to think much as Shepard stood up.

"But first is first" he grumbled, glaring straight ahead. "It's time to gear up. There's a planet to liberate and a Reaper to destroy" he growled.

* * *

The shuttle shook violently. For the umpteenth time, Garrus silently swore as everything trembled. At this point, he was certain he would be unable to tell if they weren't actually being shot by anti-air defences. The other passengers weren't faring any better, particularly the quarians. Javik though, sitting opposite to Garrus, seemed undisturbed. The turian couldn't deny he was somewhat envious of the Prothean's ability to scowl through anything. Well… Javik wasn't the only one who was unperturbed by the trembling shuttle. Justicar Athea so happened to be equally stoic in the face of certain doom.

Garrus shuffled on his seat, anxious. He was nervous. How could he not be? There he was, headed to a suicide mission, surrounded by strangers and impassive soldiers in the middle of nowhere. Moreover, he was trapped inside a meagre Quarian shuttle as they traversed one hell of a storm. There was also the fact that this was it: the liberation of Rannoch. Never in a thousand years would he have predicted that at one day he would not only be involved directly in the cure of the Genophage AND the liberation of Rannoch. So, yes, he was a bit eager to land and be over with it all.

The male turian eyed his sobered comrades, who kept quiet and their heads down. Eight quarian marines, all clad in crimson red environmental suits, morosely sat or stood across the shuttle. With rifles and shotguns, they all seemed resigned to their fate as they protectively surrounded a massive EMP bomb.

Garrus eyed the weapon of mass destruction wearily. Something about it was just wrong. For starters, Garrus hadn't found any relevant information on weaponized Electromagnetic Bombs on the Normandy's databases. On the contrary, what little there was didn't bode well for them. And now, Garrus was certain that that massive weapon didn't look like the one at the debriefing. It was a massive bomb alright, but it was not an EMP explosive. Of that, he was certain.

"One minute till we reach the landing zone" the pilot's voice announced, barely cutting through the sound of the storm outside.

In perfect unison, everyone looked down at their weapons, giving them last minute checks. Amongst the clatter of strong rain and wind, there was a myriad of clicks and clacks as mods were adjusted, armour-pieces tightened and augments added. One of the quarian marines attached something to the side of his visor while another one worked on some sort of wrist weapon bracer. Garrus went over his vitals before he could say he was ready. Admittedly, he didn't feel ready.

"How's everything out there?" Garrus asked the pilot through the coms.

"It is raining like hell and the wind is picking up" the pilot replied. "You'll have a rough time down there".

"Just great…" Garrus muttered.

The soldiers all walked over to one of the side doors, those seated standing up. Taking hold on the hangers above them, they braced for landing.

"Ten seconds to landing" the pilot reported.

Garrus' grasp on the hanger tightened, clenching for his life. He took a deep breath and tried to remain as calm as possible. With a grimace, he glanced at the bomb. They would have to carry it down just as they brought it in… through man power. In synchronization, the soldiers felt the shuttle slow down and hover over the ground. Together, they took a deep breath just as there was one final quake, signalling they had landed. Then, the doors opened… into a tempest.

To say it was raining outside might have been insufficient to describe the curtain of water that fell on the shuttle. Just outside the shuttle, no one could hope to see past a few metres, and even then it was impossible to withstand such flood. It was almost as if the sky itself wanted to stop them.

Garrus glanced at his comrades, who waited for his orders. Even Javik stared at the turian, although differently from the others he was thoroughly impatient – something that was somehow on his stance and now hidden scowl behind his visor.

"You know the plan" Garrus grunted, mustering his patience. This was going to be an arduous mission. He moved to a side of the long bomb and grabbed a side handle. "Let's put this thing in its place" he huffed.

Five quarian marines moved around different position of the long cylindrical bomb, three on the other side from Garrus and two on the turian's side. At the same time, they took hold of a handle and, with visible difficulty, lifted the heavy thing up.

"C-come on" Garrus squirmed. "Javik, Athea, Yan… take the lead" he ordered. Said three went ahead of them and out into the rain. "Kaen, Laan on our rear" he added towards the two remaining quarians.

Huffing and puffing, the six of them wobbled the bomb across the waterfall and out into Rannoch. It was hard to describe the world outside. It was dark, the rain incredibly reduced their visibility, and what little they saw (near their feet) was mostly dull rocks. It struck Garrus, just as he stepped into hard stone, that he probably was the first turian in centuries to actually step on Rannoch… but the thought died down at the storm that seemed hell-bent on making their journey as annoying as possible.

The team went onwards, Garrus following the indications on his HUD. He really wouldn't have been able to navigate the darkened hellish surface had it not been for his helmet. What he did notice was that as they distanced themselves from the shuttle, and towards their destination, Garrus noticed they were going downhill. He might have missed it, were it not for the bomb he was helping to carry.

As it was, within one minute of their march, Garrus couldn't feel his arms. The quarians weren't faring better. Thankfully, they made it in time, dropping the bomb and everyone sighing one loud sigh of relief that died in the tempest. As Garrus looked around, he noticed the wind was not as strong. In fact, they actually appeared to be in some kind of trench, wide and long. Was this the correct place?

"Arm the bomb!" Garrus yelled at one of the quarians, testing his arms.

"Yes, sir" shouted one of his comrades, who had trouble moving his limbs.

The other quarians dispersed, taking different guard positions. The turian walked over to Javik, who was crouched behind one of the trench wall as he stared at something in the distance. Garrus went to the Prothean's side.

"Anything?" Garrus asked Javik.

"Not yet" the Prothean replied through his helmet.

Garrus looked around. There was nothing to see other than rocks across a few feet away. He drew out his sniper rifle and, using its scope, tried to check the area. As he looked around, he noticed… something. It was like a glowing orb. He knew right away exactly what it was.

"We've got company!" Garrus said through the coms.

The quarians and Justicar reacted by taking cover over the trenches. Next to Garrus, Javik glared at the now visible shining orb.

"A scout" Javik concluded. "If we shoot him, the Geth will be aware of our position".

Garrus nodded, looking at his omni-tool. "The other teams are not in position yet… if we must, we'll have to protect the bomb until we all are" he told the Prothean.

"It shall be done with pleasure" snorted Javik, clenching his assault rifle.

"Hold your fire" Garrus ordered to his team.

Carefully, the turian looked as the Geth slowly started approaching them through the rain. The only thing visible was the shining optic. It was like a beacon in the rain.

"We've got movement in the air" a quarian said. "Don't move!"

Everyone froze, pressing themselves against the walls of the trench or scattered boulders. Overhead, they made the clear sound of drones. There was a buzz that pierced through the sound of the rain only for it to vanish.

"Do you think it detected us?" Javik wondered.

The answer, though, came as all across the rain, three dozen glowing orbs popped into existence. Garrus, like the others, gulped nervously.

"I think they are aware of our presence us" impassively commented Justicar Athea. She might as well have been unimpressed with that tone.

"Prepare for battle!" Garrus told his men. "We must hold this position until we are all ready!"

He glanced at the heavens. Hopefully, the Geth Armada wouldn't decide on just shooting at them… that and hopefully the Geth would not go in full alert. That might complicate the progress of the other teams.

The sound of pulse-weaponry was something Garrus did not miss, nor the tough situation of facing such overwhelming wave of enemies. It was worse knowing these would just be the beginning.

"Fire at will!" Garrus roared. He clenched his sniper rifle as he ducked behind one of the trenches' walls. "This is going to be a very long day…"

* * *

The Geth armada was mobilizing. That was a fact. Considering the fact that the Normandy was not far away from them, hidden and orbiting over the great storm besieging Diniel's hiding place, one particular pilot had quite the reason to be distressed.

"This isn't good" Joker muttered as he furiously typed on his console.

Dressed in the standard Alliance space-suit, skin-tight and dark-blue, Joker felt extremely uncomfortable. Thankfully, his cap could still fit over his helmet, if only barely. Like everyone on the Normandy, they were all in their suits, as it was protocol for combat in space, when they might need of a space-suit on.

From the looks of it, the Geth were moving over and preparing for something… something close to orbital strikes.

"Crap" he swore. "EDI, contact Shepard! Tell him the Geth are about to rain fire on them!"

"We are currently unable to establish any communications with any of the ground teams without alerting our location" EDI replied.

"Shit" Joker swore. "They are going to get blown to bits!"

Joker's eyes kept widening as numbers jumped on screen and beeps started exploding all over the console. He looked over the entire holographic screen, his jaw dropping.

"You have to be shitting me!" He gasped.

The Normandy flew around, closer to the planet, as massive Geth cruisers soared into position. Guns aligned and the vessels prepared to deliver a destructive payload. By the looks of it, there was nothing Joker could do.

"We must distract them!" Joker yelled at EDI, feeling a growing sense of dread.

"There is no need for such measure" EDI stated. "This is part of Shepard's plan".

"Wha -?" Joker blinked at the blue hologram on his left, unable to comprehend what he had been told. "He… wait, wait, wait" he hurriedly grunted, waving his hands theatrically "he planned for the entire Geth Armada to shoot at them from orbit?!"

"Only for them to break formation" EDI replied.

"Huh?" Joker frowned, utterly lost. "Why -?" whatever he was about to say died down in his lips as he saw a screen pop out to his right, on the co-pilot seat. "Huh?" He dumbly repeated.

As if possessed by a ghost, the co-pilot's screen started beeping, as thousands of variables shifted. Joker, confused, leaned over and looked at what was going on. Straining his eyesight, he discovered that…

"You are triangulating every ship's position?" Joker queried, dumbfounded. "You know we can't shoot them all at once". He glance at his monitor, his heart skipping a beat and his blood running cold. "Shit, they are almost in position! That's it, I'm going to -"

"Jeff" She interrupted Joker. "Do you trust me?"

Joker blinked at the holographic body of the AI for three long seconds, blankly, before he groaned with resignation. He leaned back, unable to believe what he was about to do.

"Shepard's going to kill me!" He scoffed.

"All positions acquired…" EDI declared.

"Alright, but now our friends are about to get killed!" Joker yelled. "What's your plan?!"

He was at the brink of desperation when it happened: the readings on his screen suddenly changed. One moment there was an entire fleet of Geth ships hovering over Rannoch with guns trained towards the black mass of clouds below. In the blink of an eye, Joker found himself staring as an entire fleet jumped out of hyperspace right onto the Geth's positions… and the Normandy.

"Shit!" Joker screamed as he reacted out of instinct.

With imminent collision ahead, according to his sensors, Joker sped up and dodged the incoming ship. He sped the ship forward before turning it around, allowing him to get a direct sight to the chaos in orbit of Rannoch. Between shocked Geth ships, unknown vessels were cutting through their ranks quickly. It all got a lot messier when the firefight began.

The Normandy spun to a side, dodging a cruiser class ship that was rather similar the ones belonging to the Alliance. However, under the sunlight of Rannoch's sun, Joker easily spotted the white and orange of their painting… and the Cerberus Insignia boldly crying their allegiance to the dastardly organization. Needless to say, Joker gasped in disbelief. It didn't last long, as he found himself needed to move the Normandy away from the cruiser's side cannon power as it obliterated Geth cruisers.

"What the hell is going on?!" Joker, his heart racing as he saw more Cerberus ships taking Geth ships by surprise in amazing barrages of raw power.

Joker's surprise skyrocketed, though, as he kept dodging what was devolving into a massacre. Right between the Cerberus spacecrafts, side by side and with shared determination, were what Joker could recognize as Quarian warships. There were also what appeared to be former pirate smaller corvettes, freighters, frigates and even the eventual cruisers of unknown identity. They all looked like they had been "forcibly acquired" from Batarians and warlords in the Terminus, in Joker's opinion at least. These later class had distinctive rusted colour on them with blood-red runes etched at their sides… Krogan runes at that.

Joker must have imagined things because he could have sworn he also saw Geth ships jumping from hyperspace with the others, joining into the fray AGAINST the other Geth. Well, he couldn't have, not really, when the ones aiding the newcomers had blue patterns and Quarian runes painted on them like the Krogan vessels.

"Shit!" Joker swore as the Normandy went between two crashing Geth ships, pieces of metal already falling down onto Rannoch.

To a side, a Cerberus cruiser was tearing a Geth counterpart into halves with its main cannon, causing the target ship (clearly without kinetic shields activated) to explode. Debris shot off everywhere, including a huge chunk of the fallen Geth cruiser.

"Shit!" Joker shouted, louder this time as he dodged what might have been the back of a Geth cruiser, only to see a Krogan freighter rushing straight at the Normandy. "SHIT!" Joker repeated just as they missed the ship by a hair.

Thankfully, Joker was able to break away from the chaos, getting closer to Rannoch. From below, Joker was able to see as the space battle – if you could call it that – was turning into a graveyard of Geth ships. The synthetics were frantically trying to regroup, but with their enemies right in their gaps and cutting through them with such suicidal and close-range attacks, odds weren't favourable for the Geth. Joker, on his end, allowed himself to seat back and release a long, winded breath of relief.

"The CA Demeter is requesting a communication link" EDI casually told the pilot.

Joker, silently, pressed the button to open a channel.

"This is Admiral Petrovsky of the CA Demeter reporting" a thickly accented voice declared.

Before Joker could respond, EDI told him about two other communication requests. Dumbfounded, he opened a multiple channel.

"This is Admiral Han'Gerrel of the CB Neema reporting" announced a familiar voice.

"This is Admiral Krohn of the FF Jhorvar reporting" a grumbling voice growled, sounding thrilled.

Joker, flummoxed, stared at the console. Was this really happening? Quarians, Krogans and Cerberus all together as one massive force obliterating Geth? He really didn't know who to root for at this point. While the Geth were under Reaper influence… the others were clearly not in the Alliance's best interests.

"This is the Artificial Intelligence EDI. Operation Thunderstorm phase I is complete. We are ready to proceed to phase II".

"Ehm… before any of that…" Joker interrupted, baffled. "Could anyone explain what the hell is going on?"

* * *

"They are everywhere!" Kal'Reegar shouted as he gunned down three Geth Shock-Troopers.

Ashley, behind a large round boulder, gritted her teeth as a Hunter pinned her down with its shotgun. No sooner the Hunter, with Reaper modifications in its body, paused, Ashley swiftly moved out of her cover and shot at the synthetic with her Addas Riffle. The Hunter could not resist the power of that rifle and was torn to pieces and grey goo.

"Just keep shooting!" Ashley yelled at the male quarian, pinned down on a boulder to her left.

All around, the team fought desperately to keep wave after wave of Geth against them. Ashley, noticing that she hadn't been shot at for a few seconds, frowned as she peeked out of the boulder. Was this it?

SLAM.

"Son of a -!" Hissed the female woman as yet again more Geth rushed out from the veil of rain, charging right at her as they fired their weapons. It was suicidal and stupid, almost as if Diniel didn't care about the Geth.

"Why are there so many Geth here?!" Ashley cried out angrily as she blindly shot back from cover.

"I have no idea!" Kal'Reegar yelled.

He snapped his head back as a massive shadow materialized out of nowhere. To his horror, a large Hunter loomed over him, having decloaked. The Geth would have killed the quarian, hadn't a purple field surrounded the Hunter and squashed the synthetic being into a pulp. Kal'Reegar glanced at the rain, wondering how the Justicar in their team had been able to do that. Shaking his head, he leaned out of cover and shot at the Geth pinning Ashley down.

"Thanks!" Ashley grinned at the Quarian behind her helmet. She offered a thumbs up to make a point. "I owe you one!"

"Nonsense!" Kal'Reegar shouted. "Let's finish these bastards! Kelah Se'lai!"

"Bring it on, synthetic scum!" Ashley laughed loudly as yet more Geth charged out of the storm.

Unfortunately, this time there were many more Geth platforms. Waves of dozens started coming out of the shadows, careless about their functionality. They didn't bother with taking cover. Rather, they seemed they were going to overrun their position by their numbers alone. As Ashley and Kal'Reegar desperately tried to hold the line, they realized that they wouldn't hold for long.

"We must retreat!" Ashley cried out.

"We haven't been given the signal!" Kal'Reegar answered, dread crawling in his voice.

As the two marines struggled not to get shot, they paused for a moment, noticing that the ground was shaking. Their hesitation was a deathly error as, soon enough, the massive wave of Geth were on their position. They were already about to outflank their covers…

Ashley shot one Geth, then another, and another. She went back to cover, crying with shock as a bullet flew right past her cheek. Another bullet hit her barriers, making her press her body against cover. Quickly, she leaned out of cover to shoot a pair of Geth, only for a bullet to strike true, piercing her kinetic shield and hitting her shoulder. She fell back with a surprised yelp.

As Ashley snapped her head towards the incoming Geth, her eyes widened as she saw a Geth standing right over her, a pulse rifle trained right on her face… and yet the Geth was not looking at her. Rather, at something behind Ashley. By then, though, the trembling had become too intense, to the point Ashley had to wonder if this wasn't an earthquake. She quickly realized, it was a stampede.

"For honour and glory!" Ashley's head went straight to someone behind her as she felt like a massive monster was charging her way. She rolled out of the way just in time for a large bulky thing to rush past her. CRASH. The being was not the only one to literally run over the incoming Geth.

Ashley, shooting off back to the safety of the boulder, could only stare, wide-eyed, as a horde of Krogan charged past her, literally ramming the Geth with viciousness and fierceness that was distinctive of the oversized lizards. Although she was admittedly shaken by the fact she had nearly been killed, her mind had one question: where in hell had those Krogan come from?

Overhead, he saw what appeared to be a freighter hover over them.

* * *

"Remind why I joined you guys!" Jacob shouted at Tali as the two sat, with their backs against a high wall of dirt.

Geth were quickly overrunning their position. Were it not for the Justicar and Jacob in their team, they would have lost the bomb already. As much as they tried, though, they were fated for defeat. The storm made it impossible to prepare for the upcoming waves of enemies. They actually shot out of thick veils of rain feet away from them.

"Because of the Reapers!" Tali yelled back as she got out of cover.

With her shotgun, she blew an unsuspecting Geth's head. She cocked her shotgun and got another one before returning to cover. It was then that Jacob stood up and got his kills with his rifle. He froze for a moment because of what he saw.

"Crap! We have to run!" Jacob exclaimed.

Tali peeked over their cover, only to gasp. Across the darkness, hundreds of glowing orbs wobbled over towards them. They were, to their horror, too many.

"Fall back! Fall back!" Tali shouted through the coms.

There was a loud roaring sound coming down on them that caught their attention.

Jacob looked up and, with wide-eyes, threw himself over Tali, taking her to the ground with him. "INCOMING!" He shouted.

Soon after, the world around them shook as something crash-landed near them. With Tali under the protective body of Jacob, the two looked at the source, only for Jacob's eyes to widen. As rain clattered over its metal body, a huge robot, similar to an Ymir Heavy Mech but with a cockpit at the centre of the body, uncurled. It buzzed and hummed as it moved, turning over to face Tali and Jacob.

"It's an Atlas!" Gasped Tali with recognition.

With a Gatling gun on one arm and a rocket-launcher on the other, the Atlas was manned by a Quarian… a Cerberus Engineer, actually. Tali and Jacob felt dread wash over them at the realization, particularly when the Gatling gun started rumbling into life. Their worries were for naught, however, as the Atlas immediately cleaned the incoming enemies with its heavy machinegun, cutting through them like a knife to butter.

It was a killing machine in every sense of the word. The machinegun was so quick and so powerful, it looked as if it was firing a long stream of raw power while the rockets blew dozens of square metres of land in potent explosions. The Geth were hopeless as the Atlas shields seemed to withstand anything, and even then, it was obvious that the overlaying armour would withstand a lot more.

"Jesus!" Jacob exclaimed.

The Atlas pushed forward, shooting rockets here and then, as it cleaned the frontline from foes. Behind the Atlas, Cerberus Assault Troopers and the rest of their team, one of the accompanying Justicars included, hurried over. Much to Jacob's surprise, the Cerberus soldiers took positions at their sides and joined them in the firefight.

"Come on!" Tali nudged Jacob as she joined their new surprising allies. "We must hold until the other teams are ready!"

"This is crazy!" Jacob roared angrily, glaring at the Cerberus Assault troopers on his right. They glanced back at him, equally displeased with the new arrangement.

"One enemy at a time!" Tali admonished. "Now shoot the synthetic bosh'tets!"

On that, they could only agree on… with fierce violent accuracy.

* * *

Geth fighters flew across the battlefields. They had their target ready. Down below, ground forces had given them the coordinates to navigate across the storm. Ignoring the lightning and wind, three of those vehicles soared unimpeded to their prey. They were about to launch their deathly firepower onto the Krogan target, when they exploded…

Grunt looked at the explosions overhead with glee as a Quarian fighter flew low with a loud zoom. The Krogan then looked at the hordes of Geth approaching and his smile died down. Instead, it was replaced with righteous fury.

"I – AM – KROGAN!" Grunt roared as his body was suddenly covered by powerful white shields. The Geth weapons ricocheted on the new barrier and were unable to slow the rampaging Krogan. It was particularly disturbing, even for the synthetics, to see a Krogan using a Geth leg as a club with which to beat his foes to a pulp.

Miranda, not far from her comrade, shook her head with an amused smirk. She quickly focused back on the enemies surrounding them and the bomb. With a SMG on one hand and a handgun on the other, she kept her kill count growing.

"Fifty six!" Nyreen Kandros yelled nearly, all too confident.

Miranda smirked at the female turian. "Sixty nine" she haughtily scoffed. "Please, do keep up!"

Nyreen growled angrily as she redoubled her efforts to get a higher kill count than the human female. Miranda, all too amused, raised an eyebrow behind her Alliance armour. She shook her head. Deep inside, though, she was aware they couldn't keep this up. They were bound to grow weary and weak soon, and the Geth didn't seem to be weakening. On the contrary, their numbers were only swelling.

As if in answer to Miranda's ruminations, the three warriors heard a fighter fly overhead, swishing across the air like a thunder, only to be followed by a powerful explosion. Nyreen and Miranda traded baffled looks before turning to where dozens of Geth had been obliterated.

"I'm not complaining here, but just who are those flyers?" Nyreen asked the haughty human.

Miranda, in turn, shrugged before going back to shooting.

* * *

"Are we there yet?!" James Vega yelled as he dodged a barrage of pulse fire. He ducked behind a large rock, gritting his teeth, before standing, fiercely, and shooting his shotgun at the incoming synthetics.

"I'm working on it!" The quarian in charge of the bomb shouted back, hidden in the storm. "Just keep them busy!"

James swore as his kinetic barriers absorbed yet another hit. To his left, he noticed a pair of Geth Shock Troopers rushing towards the bomb. He tore the first one to pieces with a well-placed Carnage, only for the second one to be sent away flying, by a biotic push. James snapped his head to his right, where Samara, covered in an ethereal purple energy field, stoically pulled a Geth prime towards her… only to smash it against the ground.

"We have to hold the line" Samara told James without a hint of emotion.

James shot at the incoming Geth, only to return to cover. "Easier said than done, ma'am!" He retorted. "These SOBs are endless!"

"Stand steadfast!" Samara shot back only to rise from cover and gun down more of their foes. As she returned to James' side, she offered a forced smile to the marine behind her helmet. "Take solace: I don't recall Shepard's plans ever going wrong".

James hissed as more Geth crashed through the veil of rain, firing on his position.

"That's not comforting!" He shouted.

"The bomb is ready!"

James and Samara snapped their head at the quarian feet away, who waved at them to hurry back to their shuttle. Comically, they exchanged surprised looks from behind their visors. Without a word uttered, they rushed out of cover and across the pitch black stone, ignoring the blankets of water slamming down onto them.

The Lieutenant activated his omni-tool and sent the signal. To his surprise, they appeared to be the last group to arm the bombs.

"Alright, people, let's get the hell out of here! Go, go, go!" James yelled.

The two soldiers had to pause, all of a sudden, as something flew over them. It might have been their imagination, for James could have sworn he saw what looked like Gunships cut through the tempest, lights glaring past them. He did hear the recognizable sound of powerful machineguns mowing down hordes of Geth… but then again, with how intense the storm was James wasn't sure.

"Let's not tarry" Samara bluntly told the marine, who hesitantly nodded back.

* * *

The shuttle hummed placidly, almost oblivious to the battle taking place beyond. In such a manner was Shepard, sitting meditative opposite to Liara and Legion. The asari wearily looked at the Commander, whose imposing broad shoulder remained unmoving… as did his gaze on her. There was something intimidating in the manner he stared at her, almost as if considering his options regarding her. It was never flattering, not under such circumstances.

If any Geth could look uneasy or impatient, it surely was Legion. He kept staring at the holographic screen to a side only to eventually turn to Shepard. Silently, he would constantly twitch his flappable side around his shining optic, as if urging the Commander to break from his ruminations. When the man would not heed the machine's actions, Legion go back to staring at the screen.

In the end, as minutes passed, Liara bit her lower lip, mustering her courage to speak. She had been so confident before the start of this mission… so sure that she could succeed in guaranteeing the safety of the Geth and their involvement in the Crucible… and yet here they were, Legion and herself, stuck with the Commander of all people. And by the looks of it, he was onto them.

"Shepard" Liara called meekly. Blushing, embarrassed, she cleared her throat. "Shouldn't we…?" She trailed of, unsure, as Shepard remained frozen. Glowing white cybernetic eyes were aimed on her sapphire eyes, almost as if analysing her soul like a machine a product. It made her shiver.

"Yes?" He hummed. He sounded challenging.

Liara looked away. Tentatively, she turned to study Legion, who in turn stared at the man. Silence reigned as the shuttle kept flying around, in circles… waiting. At this point, Liara was rather certain Shepard had gone out of his way to hide his real plans from her and Legion. That didn't bode well.

A loud beep startled the asari, who squeaked. Shepard and Legion tilted their heads at Liara, whose face burned, flustered, at the sound she had given off. The Commander shook his head, snickering, and activated his omni-tool. He must have been given some sort of signal, for he stood up one swift move and took hold of a hanger.

Shepard knocked on the pilot's seat as he turned towards the door. Legion and Liara exchanged befuddled expressions (or as befuddled as they could with her helmet and the Geth's lack of emotions). The side door opened, allowing the incessant roar of the wind to flood into the shuttle. Liara squinted her eyes as the air struck and shook her. Violent gusts of the storm invaded the back of the vehicle, and yet the Commander remained unmoving as he expectantly stared at something straight ahead and below.

Liara and Legion watched, holding onto hangers themselves with all their might, as Shepard pressed a button on his helmet.

"Has everyone been extracted?" He asked to someone at the other end of a communication channel. "Good!" He laughed all of a sudden. "Operation Thunderstorm Phase II is Complete. Everyone clear!"

Shepard raised his arm – encased by an orange-omnitool – only to close a fist, activating something.

There were many things Liara had expected to happen. One of them were for five massive lights to pierce through the darkness and bask Rannoch under righteous fury. She had also considered what she might hear. In her imagination, she had expected loud fearsome explosions that made even Reapers shake. What the young asari had not expected to hear a grumble under the loud screams of the storm. It was as if she was hearing… an earthquake.

"Those aren't EMP bombs" she quickly realized. Her heart skipped a beat and her breath hitched. Shepard had lied to her… to everyone… had he said Operation Thunderstorm? Wasn't the whole Operation called Odin?

"Why, no, Liara, they are actually Sonic Charges" Shepard chuckled. "You see, in space, you can't just blow an asteroid you intend to mine. It would send debris all over, something that's both wasteful and dangerous. Sonic charges, on the other hand, tear the structural strength of any asteroid…" He looked at Asari as he chortled. "Quarians are amazing miners of asteroids, you know".

"Sonic charges? Why would you use…?" Liara asked, perplexed, only for her eyes to widen. "Y-you -" she stammered, gobsmacked.

"You have compromised the structural strength of Diniel's bunker" Legion cut in. He looked at Shepard, his shutter-eye closing – almost as if he was squinting at the Commander.

"That's correct" Shepard nodded at the Geth.

"B-but… why didn't you tell us?" Liara wondered, confused.

"Just in case" Shepard bluntly stated, staring at the darkness as the earthquake grew in intensity.

"We must commend your cleverness, Shepard-Commander" Legion commented as he studied the veils of rain concealing the shaking surface. "The positioning of the sonic charges will guarantee an intensification due to wave overlaps on Diniel's coordinates".

CRACK. CREAK. Liara blinked repeatedly at the strange sounds coming from below amidst the grumbling quake.

"W-what was that?" She stammered, her heart pumping like crazy on her chest.

"The destruction of a lair of evil" growled Shepard. A hand went to the large heavy gun-like device on his back, eager to use it. "Steve, get me to the landing area, now!"

"Aye, aye, right away, Commander" was the pilot's reply.

The earthquake died down, and so did the cracking and crashing… the storm took over, filling the shuttle with only the wails of Rannoch's harsh winds and rain. It was impossible to tell whether they were even moving or if they were far up in the air given how little could be seen.

"How are you going to see Diniel?" Liara asked Shepard, gulping.

"I'm not" Shepard replied as he drew out his device. "I'm going to feel him" he cryptically responded.

"How…?" Liara scrunched her face, perplexed.

"The cybernetic upgrades" Legion interceded, facing the asari.

"Ah…?" Liara frowned, unsure if her doubts had been quelled.

CRACK. CREAK. CRASH.

"Goddess!" Liara gasped as the abrupt thunderous sounds echoed across Rannoch. This time, it actually sounded like the planet itself was cracking open.

With one final deafening crash, something broke at last, followed by the ripples of collapsed ceilings and earth.

"Did- did it work?" Liara wondered, concerned.

Her answer… was a Reaper's roar. Liara felt her blood run cold as that ominous sound washed over her. The strange sensation at the nape of her neck intensified and, for a moment, she turned straight to the darkness, her jaw gone slack, to stare in awe at the creature in those unperturbed shadows… lured into such void by a breath-taking feeling in the pit of her stomach.

Shepard turned to Liara and Legion. "Get to the Rendezvous point!" He yelled.

"We are here, Shepard!" Steve shouted from his seat. "Godspeed, Commander!"

"I'm accompanying you!" Liara interceded.

"No, you are not!" Shepard cried out, pointing a finger at her. "You'll get killed!"

"You are going down there to FEEL a Reaper?! Are you out of your mind?!" Liara screamed, horrified.

"Trust me" Shepard asked of her with a suddenly soft tone. So gentle and odd was her voice, that it took Liara aback for a moment.

The asari blinked at the Commander, reminded of a time when things were far better between the two. The last time he had spoken to her with such soothing voice… it had been when he had held her in his arms, protectively… her shoulders slumped as she returned to reality, reminded about what was about to go down.

"I can't let you go down like this!" Liara screamed. "I will not lose you again!"

"There is not time!" Shepard yelled. As if to agree with the Commander, Diniel roared once again, anger filling the air of Rannoch. "Both of you, get to the Rendezvous point. That's an order" he told them, before he turned towards the darkness and jumped.

Liara screamed, reaching a hand out… only for the shuttle door to close right in front of her. She remained there, unable to believe it. This was not supposed to be like this… they had been supposed to get to Diniel together, to fight across Rannoch's surface like old times against the Reaper's darkness… not to be left behind to carry on with the fight… again.

* * *

Shepard kneeled on the ground, taking in his darkened surroundings. The storm roared around him, bellowing. He felt like this was not Rannoch… like this was more of a surreal nightmare. It might as well be. In the desolate black surface of the planet, a demon laid in waiting.

"DINIEL!" He roared to the seven winds as he stood up.

His once white cybernetics glowered, shifting to an intense read. He winced as he felt it: the Reaper's influence. Even from this distance, Shepard felt a sharp pain within his head.

BRUUUM.

Shepard fell to the ground as the strong roar pushed him back. His bones rattled, shaking by the intensity of the answer coming deep from the depths of the darkness beyond. The Commander looked up, his visor covered in wetness and dirt.

"It's YOU and ME!" Shepard shouted.

BRUUUM.

Again, the Commander was taken aback by the mere intensity of the roar. He didn't recall Akriel being this… powerful. For a brief moment, Shepard felt a wave of fear as he sensed him: Diniel. Like a monster rising from slumber, the Commander felt as the creature of the void started crashing out from the ruined lair of his. With the cybernetics burning against his skin, the human prepared his device, aiming it into storm.

"EDI, I'm in position!" He said through the coms.

"Understood. We are on our way" EDI replied. "Hellhounds one to six, fall into formation" she added to someone else through the coms.

"Shepard? Shepard?!" A new voice cut in, ending Shepard's communication link with EDI.

The man in question sighed, eyes staring at where there had once been a blast door… hidden behind the storm.

"Tali…" Shepard whispered.

"What are you doing? Fall back! You don't need to do something so stupid!" Tali yelled. "We have the fleets up in the skies and we could -" she spluttered desperately.

"No, Tali. We must finish Diniel as fast as possible – we can't waste time, and much less the fleet's efforts not when they are outnumbered and outgunned" Shepard sighed, saddened that he had to inform the quarian about this.

"Please… don't do this…" Tali sniffed from her end. "I- I can't lose you… I've lost so much already…"

BRUUUM. Shepard gritted his teeth as he stood his ground. Much to his anger, he slid back a few inches.

"Shepard…" Tali called, her voice filled with dread. "Get out of there! You -"

"Tali" Shepard interrupted. "I love you…" he paused, closing his eyes as a hand went to his helmet "Kelah'Selai!"

He pressed a side button of his helmet, and braced for what was to come. He could feel it: Diniel was coming out. The gun-like device was at the ready, his friends were safe and the mission was going smoothly… Shepard allowed himself a smile, even when he knew he was doing a fool's errand by standing there and facing a Reaper one-on-one like that.

The Commander truly regretted having lied to everyone… but he was well aware things were playing out differently all around as it was. He had accepted the aid of Cerberus and that alone would have estranged him with his friends as it was and that was without mention what he suspected would followed if – no, when – he defeated Diniel.

Weary and with his heart drumming the call of war on his chest, he steeled his soul in order to face Diniel, the Reaper of Rannoch.

"Shepard…"

The Commander shuddered as the Reaper, hundreds of metres away, grumbled his name with that powerful, god-like voice. Across the darkness, Shepard could make out a faint dark-red dot cutting through the rain. Apparently, cybernetics would not be necessary…

"Diniel…" Shepard muttered, narrowing his eyes at the Reaper.

The two remained there, staring at each other. This was it. Today, only one of them would survive: the God-Like being, ancient and powerful versus the man, frail and mortal. Titans by their own right, history was ready to be written by the two.

"Fool…" Diniel grumbled.

Shepard allowed an eyebrow to raise, as he remained unmoving. He was about to retort something but, by then, one powerful deep voice, imbued with immense power and rather intimidating, cut through the Commander's skull. Imperious and demanding, it was the voice of a being of massive strength and size invading deep into the entrails of his mind. It was Diniel.

"Assuming direct control" Diniel declared as Shepard's vision darkened and he fell unconscious…

… Darkness… that was all Shepard could see. Far and wide, the Commander felt like he was standing in the very void of existence. Needless to say, it was neither comfortable nor encouraging.

"What the…?" Shepard frowned at the darkness as he fought down the rising tide of fear clawing onto his heart.

"Shepard"

The Commander blinked as the voice trembled all around. He snapped his head in all directions, wondering where the bastard hid. It was not strong nor intimidating, but the voice was scary hidden in the veils of the black void.

"Show yourself, Diniel" Shepard demanded.

"Will this do?"

The Commander turned towards the source, this time coming from in front his vision. To his surprise, it was not a Reaper… but a humanoid creature. With a long beak and large golden eyes, the being that walked out of the darkness, towards Shepard, looked like the cross of a raptor bird and a humanoid crocodile. Clad in one long white tunic, the strange alien being seemed unperturbed by the darkness surrounding them, comfortably sauntering down an invisible floor with his feathered arms behind it. It's appearance was a bit… concerning, to say the least. At the moment, though, Shepard was too befuddled by everything.

"Diniel?" Shepard blankly blinked at the newcomer.

"Yes" the being nodded. The voice was a long, rough screech, but thankfully he (for Shepard guessed this was a male) spoke in English. "I doubt you expected anyone else".

"Let's just say I expected something… bigger" Shepard grunted. Deep down, though, he was shaking with fear and bewilderement. What was going on?

"Most intriguing" Diniel purred. "We can connect and I can draw our consciousness together… but I can't seem to access you presence…" he tilted his head, a hungry look in the animal's face.

"Wait… you can… what?" Shepard asked the million credit question.

"Your upgrades, Shepard, they were of my design – not Geth. For you see, it was I who implanted the desire on the Geth to offer upgrades for your primitive implants. The cybernetics you now have were meant to allow me complete control of your entire being" Diniel causally explained. "However, I apparently did not anticipate a few intervening factors. The upgrades have been modified…" he purred with delight, intrigued. "Most fascinating…"

"You don't sound like Akriel… or Harbinger" Shepard blurted out.

"That's because I am neither" Diniel shrugged. "I am Diniel, one of the many Reapers of the Cycle". He studied Shepard for a moment. "The most strident quality of the species from whence I came was its curiosity and deviousness, to put it bluntly. The Brythirin, as we were called, preferred to plot and scheme from the shadows… that's why I was best suited for Rannoch…" he tilted his head, mystified "and yet, I have failed".

Shepard sighed. He raised a hand, frustrated. Why were there always schemes going around? He really missed the old days of just shooting the bad guys and calling it a day.

"Alright, could you just tell me how it all went down? I know that the Geth have been trying to trick me into supporting them, but I also know they thought they tricked you but you in turn tricked them so… it was a bit complicated" he summarized. "I kind of lost track about who lied to who at some point".

Diniel scoffed, amused. "I shall indulge you…" he decided merrily. "When the Geth first faced the Quarians months ago, they realized they would be obliterated by their creators. Between absolute surrender and destruction, we offered them a quick solution. The Geth, unwilling to repeat the errors of the past, schemed the means of their liberation from me AND the defeat of the Quarians".

"That would be me, I guess" Shepard hummed, nodding with understanding.

"That's correct. The platform called Legion was disconnected from the Collective on purpose and left aside in such a manner that I would find him useful as a relay of the Reaper signal you are familiar with – the one that defeated the Quarian counter-measure" Diniel started retelling as he paced. It was creepily organic and common, almost impossible to tell that this was the avatar of a Reaper. "I must commend the Geth, for artificial beings they were exceptionally clever in making sure I would see no point in erasing Legion's personality and deeply ingrained memory banks. The Geth planned it so that in the likely scenario their dreadnaught was infiltrated by your person, you would come across Legion and free him.

"In turn, Legion's secretly embedded memory banks could activate and instruct him to lead you to Shannae's server room. From there, they would connect you to their prototype interface in which Legion would quietly investigate my signal, the answer to the Quarian counter-measure, while at the same time expose you to heavily modified memories to warrant your sympathy towards the Geth and against the Quarians. In theory, it was a manner of finding my location and then destroying me, after which Legion, having found the means to replicate my signal, would change the tide of the war against their creators".

"But they didn't count on you learning about their plans" Shepard pointed out.

"Funny thing, these synthetic creatures" Diniel shrugged dismissively. "You can easily change their memories and programming, and they might stubbornly be convinced that they were never altered. Indeed, I changed the plans in order to set a trap. It was part of the Geth's plan to provide you with upgrades that would ensure your success in accessing my location".

Shepard looked at his hand, nodding apprehensively. "Yes… these upgrades allowed me to get to the most secret of places…" he murmured. "I guess that I might have been able to open the blast doors through these, right?"

"That was their plan" Diniel sighed despondently. "What I did not count on was for you to be suspicious of the Geth upgrades… or the clever use of Sonic charges. But going back to the Geth plan… What the Geth were unaware after they hid their upgrades for Legion to find in the server room were the few… alterations I'd made".

"Let me guess" Shepard raised a hand. "Once I tried using my cybernetics on the access console to the blast doors to your hiding place, you would have taken over my body".

"Exactly" Diniel nodded. He tilted his head, curious "which brings us to our current predicament. What happened to my upgrades?"

Shepard chuckled uneasily at that. "That must have been Dr Chakwas. She is a Cerberus spy, you see, so she kind of has a lot of updates on cybernetic technology as it is. She probably saw through your plan – and Legion".

"Of course, the doctor. That Cerberus organization is truly starting to be a pain in the backside" Diniel swore theatrically. Shepard, in turn, blinked at the avatar of Diniel. He had never thought he would hear a Reaper say such a thing. At the same time, this was no ordinary discussion.

Diniel folded his arms, huffing despondently. "The Artificial Intelligence informed you of that, didn't it?"

"Yep" Shepard nodded. "The upgrades were deadly useful to connect with her, very useful when we didn't want to be eavesdropped…" he frowned "…as I am with you, I guess".

"Indeed" Diniel scoffed. "Which brings us to the crux of the matter…" he looked down, contemplative. "Look, Shepard, I have no grudge with you. All I wish is to complete the Cycle and carry on to the next one. I am willing to offer anything you desire in exchange of your cooperation".

"Won't do, Diniel" Shepard shook his head, as he crossed his arms.

"Even if I were to offer a lifetime with your mate?" Diniel queried. "Or… immortality?"

"Immortality?" Shepard frowned at Diniel. "That's impossible".

"Not quite" Diniel chuckled with glee. "We could upload your consciousness, alongside that of your mate – even your friends". He paused, noticing the way Shepard stared at him. "Think about it… together, without worries, without maladies, without death…"

Shepard licked his lips. The offer was a bit too tempting. As any mortal, he feared death. Moreover, he could imagine a comfortable scenario spending time with Tali as much as they wanted. An eternity with Tali and his friends sounded like paradise…

And yet, he felt sick with such idea. As much as he wanted to avoid death, this was wrong. He wanted more than just survive: he wanted to live. Shepard's heart desire was to establish a family, with Tali, and live together, grow old and carry on… to experience life to its fullest. Moreover, it was unfair for everyone else, especially whatever children they might have wanted to have.

"Damn" Shepard hissed. Wearily, he mustered his courage. Deep down, he was shaking with fear. "I won't lie to you: it's too darned tempting…" he sighed as he rubbed the nape of his neck. "But you know what? No thank you. You can take that offer and shove it up your immortal arse".

Diniel was not amused by the response. "Really?" He huffed. "You'll just… decline such generous offer? There is so much else I could give you…"

"Yeah… but…" Shepard trailed off as he thought a good answer "I kind of wish to kick your collective butts. It brings a warm tingling feeling in my gut".

"Shepard…" Diniel wearily sighed, calmly strolling over to the Commander's side. "You do understand that if it comes to a direct confrontation, you ARE going to lose, correct? You believe you have a chance in this…" Diniel scoffed with something akin to an avian smirk "war… but truth of the matter is that there are a thousand plans going on that will guarantee your downfall". He stared at Shepard, daring the man to cleverly quip something back.

"We are your dawn and your dusk, your alpha and your omega, your beginning and your end" Diniel shrugged dismissively. "You are the crops from seeds of the harvest we sow. We are beyond your comprehension… and you know this" he tilted his head, challenging Shepard to deny his offer. "Do you wish to doom yourself and mate in this way? There will not be another offer given like this, you understand? From here on out, it will be your doom."

Shepard looked down, thoughtful. He took a deep breath as sweat started rolling down his head. The offer, he couldn't deny, was again, too tempting... Diniel smirked. In the end, the human shoulders slumped in defeat, a face of bitter frustration marring his once bold courage.

"Yeah… I know I can't defeat you…" he admitted wryly "and- and I do wish to live a happy life with Tali.."

"After everything you've done, you deserve it" Diniel encouragingly said.

"Why should I fight for the Galaxy that throw so much dirt towards me?" Shepard morosely wondered.

"Exactly?" Diniel nodded.

"You know what?" Shepard queried, staring at Diniel with dead determination. "I'll do it".

Diniel's eyes widened, but only mirth filled his avian visage. "Indeed?"

"You've got yourself a deal" Shepard nodded with sincerity. With a growl, he added "the Galaxy could burn for all I care". He stretched out a hand, offering to shake it. "Deal?"

Diniel smirked. "Deal" he stepped forward and reached out. With glee he looked at the Commander's hand… only to see it retract just as they were about to shake. Confused, Diniel could only stare as Shepard raised the offered hand, now balled into a fist, as he raised one finger: the middle one.

"Oh, what's this?" Shepard mockingly looked down at the rude gesture. "Oh, excuse me, allow me to try with my other hand…" he raised his other hand, also with the middle finger raised. "Ah, sorry, I've got no fucks to give today. Try next time".

Diniel glare down at the snickering human, enraged by the childish display. His anger boiled up and, with one loud roar, he bellowed: "SHEPARD!"

…broken out of the darkness of their connection, reality swarmed around the Commander.

"Your futile resistance ends today!" Diniel shouted, its voice making the world ripple under its might and power.

Shepard blinked repeatedly, realizing he was back on Rannoch, the rain slamming against his body. At once, he stiffened before gritting his teeth. Diniel, the red dot at the distance, glared down at him.

"Then BRING IT!" Roared the Commander.

Diniel's raging red eye was revealed as the covering shields retreated like a malicious crimson sun. Glaring down on Shepard, they burned with the full passion of hell, set to erase all trace of the Commander from the face of the Galaxy. The Commander, with his own glowing scarlet eyes, glared back at the charging laser orb, defiant. Shepard gritted his teeth as he stood his ground, baring them at the Reaper with righteous fury, every muscle throbbing with readiness.

It was like lightning, if only straight and precise. Even then, Shepard dodged the dangerous beam of raw power, if only slightly, without losing his aim on Diniel's ocular weapon. He kept his gun-like device pointing at the Reaper as his body started to feel the full effects of overexerting his cybernetic implants.

Again, Diniel shot at Shepard, only for the Commander to dodge with inhuman speed and reflexes. The Reaper stomped forward, cutting the distance between them. Each step grew in intensity as did the power of the laser beams from Diniel.

Finally, the red laser hit just as Diniel hovered over the Commander. It grazed Shepard's helmet and left shoulder, cutting through the armour and exposing scorched flesh. A part of his face was almost screaming in agony, blackened by the intensity of the beam. The Commander hissed and knelt, but kept his furious red eyes fixated on his foe. Steam was coming off the cybernetic implants and every synthetic vein on his body was starting to burn his flesh. Even then, he bared his teeth, unwilling to surrender.

"Die!" Diniel bellowed, leaning forward so that his optical weapon was fifty metres away.

Shepard knew he wouldn't be able to escape, not this time. His body had reached its limit and Diniel was too close. Yet, he remained there, the targeting device still pointing at the menacing Reaper eye. The laser beam charged fully. Just as it was about to release its fury onto Shepard, the Commander stood up, releasing a long strong battle-cry. If he was going to die, he would do so defiantly on his feet.

 _Tali…_ was Shepard's thought as he closed his eyes. This was it. _I'm sorry…_

BOOM.

The Commander, shocked, was sent flying as powerful Thannix Cannons struck the Reaper. Diniel screamed in agony, blindly stomping backwards, as a blue flash soared over the Commander. Shepard's eyes widened and a full-blown grin split his face.

"Joker, you son of a bitch!" Shepard laughed, exhilarated.

But it was not just Joker. After the Normandy, Cerberus Normandy class Frigates followed, releasing powerful discharges of Thannix Cannons and pushing Diniel further back towards the crater that had once been his lair. Shepard remained there, struggling to see through the rain, as the monster was pushed further back… until he fell, making Rannoch shake.

Shepard, slowly, kneeled up. Silence. There was only the rain filling the atmosphere… and then, cutting through the darkness, one final wail of agony, of fear… of a fallen God… before a powerful explosion erupted, one that came from inside the crate. Blinding, Shepard covered his face, as a rush of wind pushed him back and flat against the floor.

The Commander remained there, staring at the clouded skies of Rannoch. His chest rose only to fall, and his breathe remained steady. The heavens above seemed to have calmed down as the rain started to subdue. As the raindrops came down in fewer numbers and smaller, Shepard sat up, feeling extremely sore.

"It's over…" he realized. He looked at the still world around him.

Without the rain, Shepard was able to see the desolate area. There were no animals, no plants… everything looked so dead and foreboding… the Commander frowned, turning towards the massive crater in the distance.

"It's over…" he repeated. Shepard smiled faintly, and, gently, leaned back. His joy, however, was short-lived. Now that the storm down on Rannoch ceased, Shepard started to see the falling pieces of ships from the battle above, in orbit.

No, it was not over… yet.

* * *

 **Author Notes: Next Chapter shall be the last one of the Second Act. After which I might take some time for the third and last act of "A Different War".**

 **As always, please review and let me know what you think. I really want to know what my readers thought of my story and what improvements can be made. I welcome any criticism and opinion so don't hesitate, please!**

 **Thanks,**

 **The Emerald Commander**


	27. Chapter XV: Liberator

**Chapter XV: Liberator**

Liara felt utterly useless. For the first time in years she was just… dithering, unable to plan anything. In the back of the shuttle, she was surrounded by penumbra and with only Legion to offer any semblance of company. The shadows covered her exposed face as her sapphire eyes were darkened by the faint blankets of obscurity pervading the vehicle's interior.

 _How had things gone this far?_ Liara pondered. Her heart constricted at the thought of Shepard, about the way he had lied to everyone… and risking himself yet again. Why was Shepard so invested with the Quarians? It couldn't just be Tali, could it? And even if it was Tali… why was he so driven to help her? Didn't he see the quarians were only looking into their own best interests? Interests, one might add, that were against humanity's interests.

It's not that Liara didn't feel sympathy for the exiled species. On the contrary, she pitied them and would have loved to assist them… but she also had a responsibility, one to her people, her people's allies and her friends. She knew that quarians, unfortunately, were acting against everyone she held dear. Why couldn't Shepard wake up for once and realize that he was only aiding the enemies – no, maybe not enemies, but certainly not allies – of humanity? Quarians could care less about Earth or anyone else! And yet…

It was the same with the Krogans, Liara bitterly recalled. He didn't trust her. That horrible truth echoed inside of her, gnawing at her soul as it echoed in her head. Unknowingly, her hands balled into trembling fists as she glared at her helmet on her lap. Why? Why was Shepard so desperately throwing his life for people who would do nothing for the Alliance, the Council…?

Liara sighed, closing her eyes to try to regain her composure. No, as much as she hated to admit it, the truth was grimmer. There was a very dangerous possibility that Cerberus had done something with Shepard, a possibility she had discussed and had suspected alongside Ashley. The two had seen the changes and they could all pinpoint the likeliest culprit. After all, Cerberus was anything but ethical. Why would they return Shepard without certain modifications to favour them? It could have been subtle for all they knew, or maybe it was an active control chip of sorts.

The young asari hoped she was wrong, that Shepard was in fact free and doing everyone on his own volition… but reality dictated that she had to consider all options, and given Cerberus track record, would it really be that surprising? It shouldn't. People like Jack, who had a horrible pain-ridden childhood under Cerberus' tyrannical thumb, and Thane Krios, who had strong moral values, were now under the complete control of that nefarious organization.

Hence, when Liara discovered the link between Cerberus and Quarians, she understood right away the quarians couldn't be trusted. How can you trust a species that would gladly sell themselves to such monsters? Was desperation such an excuse? In Liara's book, it wasn't, and Shepard had been the prime teacher of that. Hadn't he stood high and mighty when odds turned desperate? Hadn't he remained morally correct regardless how much easier it would have been to be less of a paragon?

Liara wanted Shepard to be free from the hold of Cerberus, and the quarians. She didn't want to believe she had a grudge with the quarians, but from her perspective, that species had been disgracefully quick to play with Shepard's heartstrings with their victimized status and his heroic selfless nature. She wasn't going to deny she hated the way Tali's people had abused the Commander's trust for their own gain.

Shepard deserved better, a whole lot better. Liara huffed, glaring at the wall to her left, her anger marred with evident sorrow and grief. She didn't want to feel it, or be like that, but Liara had long started to despise Shepard's relationship with Tali. Mind you, she didn't hate Tali – per se. Tali was a good and nice person, and Liara could understand why Shepard could fall for her. But unfortunately, Tali was a pawn for the quarians, a puppet through which the quarians were ensnaring Shepard in their own plots and schemes.

As despicable as she knew that it truly was, Liara hoped she could get Shepard free from such relationship… more so if it meant rekindling their old love. Wasn't it better? Wouldn't Shepard be happier? Liara was certain he would. She had proven herself already, not like Tali who had remained steadfast with her people at the expense of Shepard. The Commander didn't deserve that. He really didn't…

But it was too late, Shepard had already jumped out of the shuttle to face a Reaper – an actual freaking Reaper – for the Quarians, mainly Tali. Was this evidence enough about how self-destructive Shepard's selflessness was? Moreover, the asari maiden was more than certain that Shepard's bravery would not be properly rewarded. They rarely were. Had Wrex paid Shepard's sacrifice back? No, he hadn't. Had the Council? No. And the Alliance? Never.

To make matters worse, Liara understood that Shepard was already plotting against her and the Geth… probably thanks to the influence of the Quarians and Cerberus. The whole debacle after Gellix hadn't help matters either. Liara was not going to blame the Commander. The man was merely being tricked in all of this. No, the blame laid at the feet of Tali, who even though she knew the horrible nature of her leaders she foolishly followed their lead, and Cerberus.

And Liara was helpless to do anything. That was the worst of it all. As a Shadow Broker, she had really felt – much to her eternal shame and embarrassment – like a goddess. How could she not? She had the power at the tip of her fingers to start wars and to end them, to topple governments and to make them… but even then, that power had been unable to bring Shepard's love for her back. No, if anything, she discovered that in her hubris, in her ambition, she had actually abandoned Shepard. She had been too selfish, having allowed her personal feelings against the Shadow Broker to appreciate Shepard's return. No, Liara knew, and was extremely remorseful of, that she had been the one to push Shepard towards Tali.

Liara sighed, closing her eyes as she tried to rein in her grief. Was Shepard lost to her? She didn't want to think so. She had hoped that, with the aid of the Geth, they could rescue Shepard from the clutches of Cerberus and – maybe – the Quarians. But if there was one thing that she was well aware of, it was Shepard was a hard person to stop or challenge. Rather, Shepard was an unstoppable force of nature… and once again, he had come on top. Goddess knew how Cerberus and Quarians had managed to get Shepard on their side…

The asari looked at Legion, sitting opposite her. He hadn't move at all and, for the most part, had merely been inactive. Liara would have thought it was the closest thing to snoozing, although the Geth would have called it "energy preservation". It was simply fascinating how organic this particular synthetic being acted.

"We are approaching the Rendezvous coordinates" Steve reported.

Liara took a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves. It was for naught as errant thoughts of endless possibilities plagued her mind. Opposite her, Legion's head raised as this glowing optics started shining intensely at Liara. Grimly, the asari realized that they would have to improvise if the Geth were to have a standing chance in this war.

"Well, seems that we've got quite the party down there" Steve, surprised, informed the passengers.

Liara, baffled by the statement, rose to her feet and marched over to pilot's seat, leaning over the consoles to get a view of the controls and the windshield. While nothing could actually be seen through the windscreen, the controls spoke of something happening on the ground below.

"It looks like a camp of sorts" Liara gravely commented, concerned.

"Yeah" Steve nodded, eyes stuck on the controls. "A handful of Quarian freighters by the looks of it…"

Liara had a very bad feeling about this. However, as she glanced at her pilot, she couldn't think of any excuse to avoid landing over that makeshift settlement. It appeared that four quarian ships had landed, probably to serve as structures, for a small forward position. Odds were that the rest of the Normandy's crew were already there. Thus, Liara mustered her courage and returned to her seat as Legion followed her with his gaze. This was going to end badly… she was sure of it.

The shuttle slowly started its descent across cloudy skies, with only strong gusts of wind to impede its progress. In the end, the shuttle reached its destination with little to no trouble under the expertly hands of Steve Cortez. Landing rather close to the makeshift base, the side doors hissed open and Liara and Legion walked out, anxiously drawing their weapons.

It was with certain relief that Liara was not greeted by a platoon of armed quarians. Rather, a friend was there to meet them.

"Garrus" Liara sighed, releasing a breath she hadn't know she had been holding. "It's good to see you!"

The dark-blue clad turian, his helmet gone, offered a turian smile – one marred with tiredness and fatigue amidst its glowing red cybernetics. The smile quickly faded as his eyes searched the shuttle's interior.

"Likewise" Garrus softly replied, offering a curt nod at Legion, before frowning at the asari. "Where's Shepard?"

"He jumped out of the shuttle to face Diniel alone" Liara explained, unable to restrain the helplessness in her voice. "You…" she paused, gulping nervously "you haven't heard about him?"

"No" The turian shook his head, shifting uneasily on his feet. "We thought he would be with you…" he quickly sighed with evident frustration "come, we were all waiting for you".

Garrus turned around and, with a gesture of a hand, urged the pair to follow him.

"Go ahead" Steve told them as he walked out of the shuttle, clad in standard space suit and his helmet on. "I'll stay here and keep an eye on the shuttle".

Liara nervously nodded at the pilot before hesitantly following after the turian, accompanied only by the Geth platform. No sooner had they stepped anywhere near the so-called camp, Liara spotted the quarians. Either moving large crates here or there, or merely standing around on guard, there were dozens, all wearing the marine blood-red environmental suits. She didn't feel comfortable across so many quarians – particularly these many armed ones. Here and there, groups of Quarians would turned to stare at her and Legion, only to murmur conspiratorially amongst themselves.

Garrus seemed untroubled as he carried on at a steady pace across the armed quarians. They in turn didn't seem that much interested on the turian either. Thankfully, it was not a long trek towards a secluded pile of white rusted crates, somewhat apart from the rest of the camp, where a familiar group of people waited. It was the Normandy's ground team.

With their heads exposed and armours in tatters, they all looked like they had gone through hell and back. James had an arm on a sling, a long bloodied scar sliced right through his right cheek while Jacob had been hastily bandaged across the left side of his face. Not even Miranda's once smooth and perfect visage had been spared as a nasty wound marred her chin. The battle seemed to have left its mark in their very stance, all of them sharing a rather haggard and exhausted pose. It was only Javik who remained untouched and chest puffed up, with an air of satisfaction around him. The Justicars, Grunt and the two quarians of the team were missing, though, something troubled the asari.

"Blue!" James Vega exclaimed with a face-splitting grin.

The team, snapping their heads at Liara, were wide-eyed at her arrival. Like Garrus, they had expected someone else to come along.

"You are alright" Liara stated, somewhat perplexed. Had the battle been so bad all across the planet? She had assumed there would be little to no conflict involved given how it had been meant to be a covert-ops.

"You sound surprised" Ashley Williams chuckled.

With her face exposed, Liara was unable to fight the shudder that rolled down her spine. There she was, in all of her terrifying glory, with blood-red shining eyes that could pierce into the soul of any person. The glowing veins, snaking in and out of mortal flesh, made her nightmare-inducing in the eyes of Liara. The asari didn't hold any contempt for Ashley… that didn't mean she found such sight appealing. If anything, it spoke about Cerberus and the perversion of science. Liara did manage, though, to look unperturbed by Ashley's face.

"Where are the Justicars?" Liara wondered as she walked to join her friends. "Or the Krogan, Grunt?"

"One of the Justicars died and another one is critically wounded" Miranda explained with the same haughty drawl Liara had grown to hate. This time, though, there seemed some spite in her voice, as if she was still reeling about her perfect face getting injured. "If I am not mistaken, they are preparing for the funeral in their own way. As for Grunt…" Miranda took a moment to glance at Liara "he has gone to report to his higher-ups up on space, like Tali and Kal'Reegar".

"Higher-ups?" Liara blinked at them.

"Wait – you don't know?" Jacob, startled, asked.

"Know what?" Liara queried, a knot forming on her stomach. She was not going to like this, was she?

Her friends all traded grim faces before addressing the asari. It was Garrus who spoke. "Let's just say Shepard had other plans for this whole operation…" he grumbled.

"Yes, I did learn about that before he abandoned us" Liara replied with a hand gesturing at Legion and herself, as she a pang of sadness at the memory. "There were never any Electromagnetic Pulse Bombs involved, only Sonic charges – asteroid-class ones".

"Huh, Sonic charges?" Ashley hummed, impressed. "We should have thought about that long ago" she added with a chuckle.

"It does make sense now" Nyreen bitterly spat. "Shepard intended to bring down the Reaper's hiding place on the Reaper itself…" she glared at Liara "but why didn't he inform us?"

"The same reason a commander would lie to his troops" Garrus sighed, resigned. "Because he believes they are compromised".

"We are his most loyal soldiers, and this is how he treats us?!" Nyreen growled. "We were supposed to go on a stealth, quiet mission! Not an all-out skirmish!" She then turned to Miranda, who scowled at the unwarranted attention "not to mention with the addition of Cerberus and the Krogan!"

"Cerberus?!" Liara gasped, shocked.

Her blood chilled at the mention of the Organization. They were here? On Rannoch? Had Shepard actually asked for their aid? But how? She had been careful to monitor Shepard whenever he was talking with the Illusive Man and at no time had Shepard agreed to accept the dastardly organization's aid!

"They showed up to help us at the nick of time" Ashley offered, uncertain how to feel. "Last I heard, they are still fighting in orbit".

Liara's eyes went to the heaven, trying to imagine what it was like up there. She was terrified of such prospect, with Cerberus glaring down from above.

"Their appearance was most fortunate" Javik impassively remarked. "We would have been overrun had they been absent".

"But where the hell did they come from?" Jacob wondered, frowning. "And how did they know our positions across the storm?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Miranda scoffed. "Shepard actually asked for Cerberus' assistance on this mission – and I don't blame him. The Alliance, nor anyone else, was willing to offer any help on such risky operation".

"He should have at least given us a heads up. It's bad enough having to fight those darn synthetics without having to worry your ass about Cerberus" Jacob muttered.

"Please, tell us Shepard didn't actually betray the Alliance" James begged Liara.

"I- I'm not sure" Liara mumbled, feeling rather awkward. "Although…" she paused, mauling over what she would say next "I would not be surprised if he had. Shepard's behaviour has been… questionable for some time now".

"You think he got Indoctrinated or something?" James gasped.

"No, it was probably Cerberus" Jacob huffed. "Knowing those a-holes, they probably Inducted him or something".

"Inducted?" Nyreen asked the dark-skinned man.

"Y'know, Cerberus brainwash" Jacob shrugged. "Indoctrination is already taken so… Induction".

"That's ridiculous" Ashley scoffed.

"They did with Thane, Kasumi, Zaeed and Jack" Garrus quipped. "I wouldn't be surprised if they tried the same with Shepard…" he turned to Jacob "but it's still unlikely. Indoctrination can take months, and I doubt Cerberus' technology is on par with the Reapers".

"Hey, they stick ugly pipes in your body. A control chip or two or something like that wouldn't be an outreach, now would it?" Jacob rebutted.

"Under that logic, both Garrus and Ashley might be under Cerberus control" James pointed out.

"How do we know they aren't?" Jacob wondered.

"We don't, and it's useless to delve on such elusive possibilities and what-ifs" Miranda irritably snapped at them. "Discussing such scenarios that can't be proven is a pointless endeavour. All we can do is wait for Shepard and demand answers".

"Wow, geez, someone's pissed" James grunted, his voice thickly laced with sarcasm.

"Enough" Intervened a tired Garrus with a worn-out sigh. "I think we had enough fighting for a lifetime as it is, don't you agree?" He pointedly told his friend, who in turn looked down, just as exhausted. After all, they all silently agreed that they had more than enough battles for more than just one lifetime.

There was a long uncomfortable pregnant silence that hanged over them as they returned to just… wait. They didn't even bother looking at each other, perhaps too tired to delve further into other people than themselves. They had all gone through one hellish fight, challenged by hordes of endless Geth not to mention the storm. However, Liara had the strong impression Shepard's change of plans, particularly the inclusion of Cerberus in the last battle for Rannoch, had everyone at a loss.

How were they supposed to react? Shepard had colluded with the largest threat to Galactic peace and survival second only to the Reapers! If it hadn't been for Cerberus, the Crucible might have been well on its way to completion, and maybe the Alliance wouldn't be in the state it currently was. Humanity would have been a lot better, as a matter of fact, without the need of a massive civil war scourging their territory while the Reapers stained their home-world with their ungodly presence. And yet…

Cerberus, alongside the Quarians and Krogan (the latter of which had been quite the shocking addition to the battle), had saved them in the rain. Had it not been for Cerberus, they would all have been dead, or worse. The battle would have been one massive defeat and everything would have gone to hell.

While Liara still had quite the animosity towards Cerberus, she could easily see that perhaps some of her companions did not, particularly Ashley. Could anyone blame them? Cerberus had proven time and time again to be challenging enemies. As allies, they had been quite the thankful appearance. There were certain bonds, after all, that could only be formed in battle. Ashley, though, while had always been strongly opposed to Cerberus from the start, had quite opened up to the Quarians through Kal'Reegar. That friendship could prove dangerous for Liara later on, not to mention Shepard.

It was hard to tell how long it passed as they merely waited. Admittedly, Liara didn't understand their patience, or their inaction, but she played along. Maybe, they were reluctant to challenge the Commander's decisions, from lies to risky deals with the Illusive Man. Perhaps it was their tiredness seeping in, their desire to merely rest and recuperate. Or maybe it was a combination of the two. In any case, their patience was rewarded by the thunderous roar of the Normandy.

As a majestic bird of prey, it soared across the grey dismal skies of Rannoch. Every pair of eyes snapped in its direction, taking in the blue flash that flew above. It circled around the camp, letting everyone bask in its glory, as it slowly descended, like an animal to its nest. The entire team seemed to be revitalized by the Normandy's presence, standing up straight and expectantly. Liara too felt her soul swell in her chest, but in her case it was both with worry and dread.

A bit further away from the camp than the grounded team, the Normandy landed with a gentle thud over the bare rocks that were Rannoch's surface. As the ramp descended, the team hesitantly approached the vessel. When the ramp had finally hit the ground, Liara and company held their breaths as one man, with broad shoulders and imposing frame, marched down the Normandy: it was Shepard.

"Shepard!" The team chorused as one loud gasp.

While they were certainly joyous to meet their leader, they all remained standing, apprehension clenching onto their eagerness, as they studied the Commander. Each footstep echoed with strength and his movements were decisive, emanating a warning to the world. However, even on such powerful body, they were all drawn by the heavy injuries he brandished. The most shocking part was the man's face. Right over the shoulder, the left part of Shepard's head was a gruesome combination of scorched black flesh with tightly knitted glowing red cybernetics, leaving that side almost cadaveric.

Everyone stared at Shepard, unable to come up with a reaction or response. What were they supposed to say? Or do? They stood there, bewildered. Had Shepard succeeded? Had his lies been worth it? What was going on? The Commander's gaze was also rather harsh and marred with pain as he scanned the gathered group. He was truly intimidating with those glowing red eyes and stern face. In the end, it was Shepard who broke the silence.

"Did someone call for a Reaper exterminator?" He grinned as his cybernetics slowly reverted into their original white.

The group's jaw went slack, trading baffled faces.

"Wait, then…" James dumbly blinked at the Commander.

"Diniel is dead – didn't know what hit him" Shepard chuckled.

Shock struck the Commander's companions, all too shaken and surprised by the news. They exchanged gobsmacked faces, each of which slowly had a smile crawling across their faces. Soon enough, though, they cheered. It was a long cry of joy, one into which they released their exhaustion and pain. They approached the man to slap him on the back for their success. They had won and gods knew they had more than enough reasons to celebrate.

"You had to get half your face hit, Shepard" Garrus jokingly said as he patted Shepard's back.

"Jealous Garrus?" The Commander huffed with a wide grin, nudging the turian. "I doubt you can up taking a Reaper beam to face – now these are real battle-scars".

"I knew you wouldn't stand my amazing scars taking the centre of attention" Garrus retorted.

"Geez, they look nasty" Ashley, smiling, told the man, slightly punching the man on the shoulder.

"You look like you put your face on a grill, Shepard" Jacob, amused, added.

"I don't mind them that much" Miranda hummed with a hungry glint on her cold blue eyes.

"Thanks for your honesty" chuckled the man.

"You really are _loco_ , y'know?" James scoffed with a small, sobered smile.

Liara tried to keep a smile on her face, to be happy for the occasion… but she couldn't. And neither could the others for long. Now that victory had been established, many questions and matters remained, things that gnawed on their spirits and minds. Shepard must have felt it, or they had been visibly upset with the Commander, for he stepped back as everyone sobered up.

"Shepard…" Garrus started as he stared at his friend. "We need to talk".

The Commander released a long, tired sighed, one which evidently expressed his consternation with what he knew was to come. He instead pinched the bridge of his nose, as he had done many times.

"Yeah… we really do, don't we?" He replied as he looked back at Garrus.

Rather than looking ashamed or self-conscious, Shepard was awfully defiant and angry at them. He even glared at them, something that looked painful to do with such injuries on his face. Liara didn't know why, but she quickly felt things were not going to turn like she had first expected. It was as the Commander folded his arms in front of him, like he generally did when he expected answers, that Liara nervously realized that it would probably be them who would fall under scrutiny.

"Cerberus, Shepard?" Garrus started, ignoring the Commander evident admonishing face. "You actually made a deal with the Illusive Man? Why didn't you tell us the plan?"

Instead of outright answering, Shepard leaned forward with one intimidating scowl onto Garrus face. The turian held his gaze on the Commander, but his conviction faltered, almost as if Shepard could see something that Garrus was heavily guilty off.

"Oh? Are you going to accuse me of withholding information?" Shepard growled. He leaned back, his glare sweeping across the gathered group. "Yes, why don't we all come clean for once. I'm bloody tired of all this nonsense!" He walked further away, distancing from them, only to pace angrily near the Normandy's ramp. "After everything I've done, after everything we've been through, you all gladly stab me in the back at the first chance, don't you?"

"Shepard, what in the hell are you -?" Jacob was asking, only to be interrupted.

"Oh, as if you don't know" Shepard hissed, only to turn towards James and Ashley, who winced under his fiery gaze. "You really think I wouldn't know? That I wouldn't figure out that Hackett wanted more than debrief you on small stuff? Do you really take me for an idiot?" He turned to Garrus and Nyreen. "The same goes for you two!"

"We aren't the ones who befriended Cerberus" Nyreen retorted.

"Of course not" Shepard grunted "you are the ones who hid the fact the Hierarchy was doing secret dealings with Legion of all people!"

Liara awkwardly looked away, feeling rather guilty for having been the vehicle for such negotiations to happen.

"Shepard, look" Garrus sighed, shifting uneasily on his feet and looking ruefully at the Commander. "We did what we thought was best for our people and -"

"And that's the problem" Shepard huffed. "I understand wanting to do what's best for your people, Garrus, but that's absolutely different from being an absolute imbecile out of desperation" the turian grimaced, knowing what the man meant with that. "Do you even understand the Geth had been lying to us this entire time?"

Silence. Everyone traded confused looks, not following. Rather, their raised eyebrows at the Commander, somewhat flummoxed by Shepard. Legion didn't say anything, rather staring at Shepard expectantly.

"Of course you don't" Shepard sighed tiredly, pinching the bridge of his nose yet again. "You don't even bother questioning half the things that go on, much less think about them. Garrus, did you never question how peculiar everything related to Legion was?"

Garrus frowned, glancing at the unmoving Geth. "I… don't understand" he said, shaking his head.

"Let us recap, shall we?" Shepard grunted. "Shall we start with the basics? The Geth… how do they work? In their society, they have a system called the Collective, and their entire decision-making is absolute democracy: what the majority of the programs decide is law. And yet… one decision split them apart into Heretics and the so-called real Geth. Why?"

Garrus frowned. "I… don't know" he admitted.

"Because it was the smart thing to do" Shepard scoffed. "Instead of all the Geth just risking being on the losing side of either choice, whether to aid Sovereign or not, the Geth played both sides. If the Reapers succeeded, the Heretics would have guaranteed they had done their part. If Sovereign failed, the other Geth who had stayed behind could claim having never actually sided with the Reapers. More importantly, if push came to shove, the Geth could always look like they had been on the Organics' side all along by appearing to fight the Heretics themselves".

"Wait, so after Sovereign you think that… what, the Geth just wanted to look like they had been on our side all along?" A baffled Garrus asked. "That's crazy, Shepard. Why would the Geth waste so many platforms?"

"Garrus, to understand the Geth you need to think of them as for what they are: machines. Every decision they make is based solely on logic" Shepard sighed. "In their eyes, sacrificing a few million Geth in order to guarantee a favourable relationship with organics, particularly me, was worth it. The Geth knew all along they would need allies if they were to survive the Reapers, so they needed to be rather convincing on this. Do you really think the Geth aren't capable of mass genocide if it fits their logic, much less ensures a favourable future?"

There was a long awkward silence in which Garrus glanced repeatedly at the quarian camp, grimacing.

" _Por favor, Loco_!" James spat angrily "that's absolutely stupid, Shepard! Too many conspiracy theories and whatnot!"

"Really?" Shepard sardonically smiled at the Lieutenant. He turned to Legion. "Am I wrong, Legion?" As he folded his arms again, he added "I suggest your honesty here, Legion, because I doubt I'll be of any help to your people otherwise".

Legion looked at the others, who stared at him, only to hesitate. He was clearly calculating the best outcome for what he would say next. After three long eternal seconds, he responded.

"You are correct, Shepard-Commander" Legion said. "There were never Heretic programs in our collective. We were always… Geth".

There were widespread gasps in the group. Garrus and Liara were the most shocked, taken aback by the revelation. Particularly, they both felt like they had been treated as fools. Shepard calmly walked over to Legion, who studied the Commander thoroughly, almost as if analysing a threat.

"And you were the grand spokesman for the Geth, weren't you?" Shepard sighed with sadness as he went to stand right in front of Legion. "Everything about you, every strange weird detail that makes you unique… it was all meant to warrant my sympathy and rise your chances of actually talking and engaging with me, wasn't it?"

Everyone, a bit too shocked, looked at Shepard, almost begging him to stop changing their world-view any further. Legion didn't answer.

"That hole on your chest" Shepard leisurely pointed a finger at said gaping hole "is a structural weakness, like a window, isn't it? It should impair your capabilities and compromise your internal systems. Just look at that thing. Cleaning all the stuff that gets in there must be bad enough without the way it compromises the strength and integrity of your body… Strangely enough, similar platforms with such injuries wouldn't have survived that long, and yet you did, almost as if no vital system lays anywhere near to it. It doesn't stand to logic that you didn't seal it ages ago, and the fact you still keep it speaks volumes of its purpose there… to look like a wounded, distinctive person".

Legion remained silent. The pointed finger jumped onto the black and white on the Geth's shoulder.

"The N7 armour pieces, located on your shoulder… a very strange addition onto you when there were far better resources to use" Shepard hummed. "You never did bother answering that question back then, did you? Why use such compromised metal when there was better stuff available? It is almost as if you intended to draw MY attention… Actually, you made it pass as if it was like you were organic, and you did it for some mysterious emotional and symbolic reason that doesn't actually compute with Geth. Most odd, isn't it?"

Again, Legion didn't speak. Shepard pointed at the Geth's very centre.

"And what is this? The Heretics were designing a secret re-writing virus and you needed to casually infiltrate the same Reaper at the same time as me? On your own? Such vital mission, and the Geth sent ONE platform with no support? Mind you, you are very smart… and distinctive" Shepard's hand returned over his chest where his arms laid crossed. "There was never a virus, was there? EDI was awfully confused when she hacked into your omni-tool or tried to remotely access the Heretics' base databases, you know? I did find it strange you would give me such important choice, to a stranger of all things, to decide on the destruction of Geth when it was only logical to reprogram the Heretics in preparation of the Reapers. Not to mention, the only reasons not to reprogram them were mostly ethical, and we both know Geth don't exactly have ethics.

"Our encounter was all a setup, wasn't it? The fact you didn't have a name, when every single Geth platform I know of – and God knows I know a lot of them after Shannae - had one by their owners. And yet… you gave ME the privilege – no, the honour - of naming you of all people, a complete stranger in the weirdest sign of trust to someone who up until that point had only slaughtered your kind and was probably suspicious of you".

Legion didn't answer, staring at Shepard's face.

"Tell me the truth, Legion. Am I right?" Shepard inquired.

Legion glanced at the team, who looked utterly lost by everything Shepard had said. Once again, it seemed evident that the Geth was assessing the best path to the best outcome. By the looks of it, he was also rather reluctant to merely concede Shepard's arguments. The silence, though, would not last forever.

"Yes" he finally said. "You are correct, Shepard-Commander. We needed your trust to ensure the Geth's future. Your actions against the Collectors interested us, as did the Collectors, and we understood you were spearheading the efforts against the Reapers. It was logical to attempt to draw your attention and establish a favourable relationship with you, Shepard-Commander".

"That and you wanted to gather more intel on the Migrant Fleet's latest actions on Haestrom, didn't you? Two birds on one stone, one might say. You got to gain my trust and my sympathies towards your people and in turn keep an eye on the daughter of a Quarian Admiral" Shepard smirked at the Geth. "Don't you think you looked very suspicious having spied on Tali's omni-tool all that time ago AFTER we had decided you would stay confined to the AI room? You actually thought I would let that pass like it was nothing?"

"We needed to know what the Creators were planning" the Geth admitted. "We thought their secret operation on Haestrom was intended to create a hidden base capable of evading our detection thanks to the unstable sun's radiation. Considering the many platforms under Sovereign that might have fallen into the hands of the Creators, and the Creators' engineering prowess, we were expecting an invasion to ensue with the Creators emboldened by new understanding on the Geth. It was unlikely for Quarians to establish such a dangerous base only to study the sun – they were perceived as a threat and evidence of a greater danger".

"Considering that the last time I met Geth was at a battlefield, I understand all your actions Legion" Shepard confessed. "Heck, I don't think you might have had other opportunities to actually consider the Geth as potential allies otherwise. But…" here Shepard squinted suspiciously at Legion. "You haven't exactly been forthcoming recently either, have you?"

"Your mate-relationship with Creator Zorah suggested an emotional response against our people if evidence was provided of deceit and manipulation" Legion replied quickly enough. "Prior actions on Tuchanka have suggested a greater weight in regards to emotional attachments on your decision making. Considering your potential allegiance to the Creators and Cerberus, we deemed secrecy was necessary for our survival".

Shepard hummed thoughtfully. "I guess that makes sense" he reluctantly conceded. "I can't really fault you on that logic…" he grumbled. "That doesn't mean I find any wisdom on that".

"You can be awfully understanding at times" Garrus remarked with surprise.

"When you deal with a bunch of backstabbing arseholes it's always nice to be two steps ahead of them, isn't it?" Shepard shrugged. "With the Reapers and all, desperation is bound to run amok, and we all know how desperate people do desperate things. Like planning to betray me in order to upgrade the Geth against the Quarian counter-measures, am I right… Liara?"

The asari winced, and gulped, as she felt Shepard's intense heated gaze on her. She could feel the anger bubbling on the human without any need of actually glancing his way. As it was, she didn't think she was bold enough to face the man's ire. He had a good reason to be furious, considering how often than not those he deemed allies seemed to lie or betray Shepard.

"Hey, don't look surprised" Shepard grunted. Liara looked up, confused, only to notice uneasy-looking Garrus and Ashley alongside scowling Nyreen and James. "You four were actually planning on going along with her plan so that the Geth could help the Alliance and the Turians – even if it meant shooting me".

"Loco, it is nothing personal, but you haven't exactly given us any confidence you would make the right choice" James scoffed with a roll of his eyes.

"He's right. The quarians are like your Achilles heel, Commander. When they are involved you are like another person, and sometimes it's the same with Cerberus" Ashley reluctantly added.

"Right choice?" Shepard huffed, amused. He actually laughed, loud and hollow, as he repeated those words. His laughter, though, was not comforting. It was scary, given how forced and angry it sounded. Even James, by the looks of it, was apprehensive of the man's fury.

Shepard turned to look at James. "Do you know why the Geth slaughtered the Quarians, James?"

The Lieutenant uncomfortably shook his head, wisely keeping his mouth shut. Shepard's attention jumped onto Garrus.

"Did you know that Diniel had been aware of Shannae's server room for some time now?" Shepard asked the turian, who stiffly shook his head with a grimace.

The Commander looked at Nyreen, who seemed caught between defiant and scared.

"Did any of you even consider that Diniel might have modified the Geth in any shape and form after months of having them under his control?!" Shepard shouted at them.

They all winced, unused to such reprimanding Commander. The man walked away from Legion to stand at the centre of the group.

"No. You didn't!" Shepard yelled, baring his teeth at them with righteous indignation. "Let me tell you the truth" he hissed, narrowing his eyes at them. "Diniel did not only discover that the Geth had conspired against the Reapers before they became their slaves, but he actually went a mile further and changed the Geth's plan to benefit him – and the Geth are none the wiser". He swiftly turned to Legion "your upgrades, he knew all along. In fact, he was counting I would be upgraded with his own modifications so he could Indoctrinate me in one full-swoop".

Legion stared at Shepard, disbelief etched in his synthetic stance.

"There were a lot of reasons to be suspicious of the Geth, you imbeciles!" Shepard roared at his friends, who stepped back. "These are the bloody Reapers we are fighting! These aren't your everyday drug-dealer, mercenary or even Cerberus. These are God-Like Sons of Bitches that have been in the business of Galactic extermination for millions of years! Each of them is a nation. Each of them is the harbinger of a species' destruction! And you treat the Geth as if they were merely hostages, or prisoners! You actually have the GALL to think the Reapers would be too stupid to try anything other than control them through Diniel!"

Shepard took a moment to take a long deep breath with his eyes closed. He pinched the bridge of his nose once again, while his friends all awkwardly traded grimaces and grim faces. Even Javik had been daunted by the man's outburst.

"What the fuck is the point of any of this?!" Shepard shouted once again, kicking a loose stone from the ground. By this point, his cybernetics had turned red. "Why do I even bother trying to help anyone?!"

Strangely enough, instead of getting angrier, or giving another outburst, Shepard actually… calmed down. He took deep breaths and, when his cybernetics turned white, turned looked at his friends with a saddened face. His shoulders slumped down as a shadow fell on the man's expression. Bags formed under his eyes as he looked up at the sky.

"I'm… sorry about that" Shepard sighed. "But sometimes I do feel like the entire Galaxy is on my shoulders…" he looked down at his feet, sounding utterly disappointed and defeated "and it doesn't help when you just -" he clenched his fists in front of his face, bitterly baring his teeth before sighed, exhausted, and releasing his arms to hang loosely on each side of his body. "This could have gone so wrong…"

The team remained silent, hanging their heads in shame.

"So Hackett actually ordered you to assist the Geth?" Shepard asked James and Ashley.

"Yeah…" James answered as he rubbed the nape of his neck. "He really wants the Geth in power".

"So do the turians" Garrus grumbled.

"Of course they do" muttered a despondent Shepard. He looked at Legion, thoroughly tired. For a moment, his gaze when up onto the grey skies of Rannoch, before focusing back on the Geth. "What exactly am I going to do with you?" There was a prolonged tense silence between the two. "Your people have been compromised… right now, I cannot risk it. I can't allow you to upgrade the Geth, Legion, not when we know full well that Diniel has been behind your plan all along".

"We have run various diagnostics. The upgrades are not compromised" Legion insisted.

"Really? Like my own upgrades, I presume" Shepard huffed. "No, Legion, whether you like it or not, your entire people has become little better than tools for the Reapers, their servants. We might liberate them, but it would be foolish to assume the Reapers haven't actually planned for such outcome. We have all seen what the Geth now look like, thanks to the Reapers. They are no longer your people, Legion… they are no longer Geth".

Silence. All around, Shepard's team slowly allowed those words to sink in. Liara was having a lot of trouble coming to terms with the idea that the Reapers had changed so much so quickly. Admittedly, she had been long aware about the modifications done onto the Geth. The three glowing red optics, the red cables, the change in their internal systems… Shepard was right. The Geth… the Geth had long died at the hands of Diniel, an outcome they hadn't foreseen. Liara looked at Legion as the artificial lifeform tried to process the truth. Legion was, by all means and purposes… the Last Geth. And even then, Liara knew there was a possibility of Legion being infected already by some Reaper code… he had already been manipulated to deliver Reaper upgrades for Shepard. What else could have been done to him?

"We are alone" Legion said with an incredible sad tone. Liara mentally smacked herself for never questioning the ability of the android to inflect emotions in such a manner. "We… are the Geth".

Shepard, with a saddened face, nodded.

"What will we do?" Legion wondered, sounding utterly lost.

"You have two choices, Legion" Shepard informed the synthetic. "You can join the Normandy and help me fight the Reapers. After the war, if we win… I'll make sure you'll have the freedom to rebuild your people. However…" Shepard sighed, folding his arms. "I will have to keep you in strict quarantine and you must allow EDI and a team of quarian engineers run over your programs to make sure no Reaper code has infected your softwares. Sadly, I won't be able to guarantee that they won't do anything in the process – and I don't know of anyone else who understands the Geth bodies well enough to do the job".

Legion didn't say anything. Rather, he remained frozen, staring at Shepard.

"The second option…" Shepard grimaced as he trailed off. "You could surrender to the Quarians. Thus far, they have been able to reprogram a good lot of platforms they captured during the first days of their campaign. They are bound to change most of your core programs, like the Primordial Code… while it will definitely change you, it will make sure that you no longer are a slave to Diniel's modifications or any hidden Reaper code".

"There are other options, Shepard" Liara interceded. "I am sure the Council could help".

"I guess" Shepard shrugged. "But the Council isn't knowledgeable enough to guarantee Legion is clean from the Reaper's influence. If anything, they might suggest destroying Legion to make sure".

"We will… reach a consensus" Legion stated hesitantly.

"Take your time, Legion" Shepard told the android. He looked at the rest of his team. "Return to the ship, people. I suggest you take this moment to rest".

"That's… a good idea" Garrus grunted.

The team reluctantly started trudging towards the Normandy's ramp. Garrus went to Shepard's side for a moment, hesitant.

"Look, Shepard" Garrus sighed, despondent. "I'm sorry for not telling you about my orders…"

Shepard glanced at the turian. "We'll talk about that later" he murmured, sounding like he hadn't slept in ages. His eyes went to a particular Asari. "Liara, would you stay back for a moment? There's something I need to discuss with you". He looked at Garrus, urging him to move along. Garrus reluctantly did so, hanging his head.

Liara, rather uncomfortable, walked over towards Shepard as the rest of the team disappeared inside the Normandy. Things had certainly not turned like she had expected. For starters, the fact they had ignored any possible Reaper infection on the Geth had left her a bit… troubled. She had actually considered betraying Shepard's trust in order to free the Geth and upgrade them against the Quarian counter-measures… and yet that might have only bolstered the Reapers further. She could have actually played along right into the hands of the Reapers… and all because she schemed and planned on her own, without consulting anyone else.

Shepard and Liara remained staring at each other, alone. After a long pregnant silence between the two, Shepard sighed.

"You wanted to talk with me about something?" Liara wondered, glancing at the ramp.

"Yes…" Shepard nodded, turning around. "Follow me".

Liara did as told, confused, as Shepard led her into the Quarian encampment. The Commander activated his omni-tool, probably to find his destination, and tiredly walked onwards. The tiredness and fatigue were evident on his stride, as was the exhaustion on his sagged shoulders.

"It has been quite the day, hasn't it?" Liara commented.

Shepard glanced at her with a blank, impassive face. "Trust me, the day isn't over yet" he muttered.

Liara frowned as dread filled her guts. What was that supposed to mean? Truth to be told, she was fearing the worst. As they went past group of quarians, Liara noticed the way they stared at him. There was veneration in their gaze, and awe. They seemed to ignore Liara altogether in favour of just following the man with their eyes. The asari could understand why. To many, Shepard was a man like no other. To some, he was bordering the fine limit between the impossible and possible. If Shepard made it through the war, he would forever remembered as some kind of saviour, and that was without including the Romanisation that would follow as in most legends.

Oddly enough, their destination were neither Krogan, Quarians or – Goddess forbid – Cerberus but rather… the Justicars. They founded them praying beyond the camp, or at least, two of them appeared to be praying on their knees while Samara waited patiently, on her feet, for them. The standing Justicar didn't say or do much as they approached her, but Liara could easily tell there was intrigue on her eyes.

"I congratulate you on your victory, Commander" Samara greeted with a courteous nod.

"Our victory" Shepard corrected. "I…" he glanced at the praying Justicars, whose backs were turned towards him. "I'm sorry about the death of your colleagues. I'm thankful they decided to help".

"It's been a long time since the Justicars aided the oppressed and downtrodden outside Asari space. However, if we are to triumph against the upcoming darkness, we will have to do many things we haven't done in millennia" Samara reluctantly said, only to add, with a smile "as for my fellow Justicar… Justicar Naima is now under the embrace of the Goddess".

Shepard nodded at the Justicar before glancing at a rather confused Liara. The latter was rather perplexed about having been brought to Samara.

"Samara… I might have a request for you" Shepard started, uncomfortable.

"You only need to ask" Samara stated with a kind smile.

"I need you to train Liara" the Commander begrudgingly told the Justicar.

The Justicar, in turn, blinked at the man, dumbfounded. She wasn't the only one. Next to Shepard, Liara stared at Shepard with wide eyes. He actually wanted HER to become a Justicar? While Liara was flattered by the thought, she really didn't think it was wise. Justicar training was, after all, gruesome and, in most cases, fatal. There was a reason why Justicars were a bit… odd.

From what Liara had heard, Justicars went through many tests and trials, some more perilous than the previous ones, which broke the person individual to reshape them into zealous monks and fighters for the Code. While Liara respected their dedication and the Code, she didn't approve of such harsh methods. It was a bit archaic to treat people like that, not to mention how the Code handled law in whites and blacks rather than the greys that they were.

"You wish to become a Justicar?" Samara inquired, turning to Liara.

"I am more in the lines of mental and physical training, not necessarily to make her a Justicar" Shepard elaborated. He closed his eyes, sighing, as the two asari turned to Shepard, confused.

"Why would you want me to undergo such a training?" Liara wondered. "While I can see the need of it with the Reapers and Cerberus… there is a great risk involved".

"Liara…" Shepard sighed, turning to the asari in question. "I know you won't believe me. Heck, I know you will… I don't know… probably think I'm crazy. But I need you to hear me out and understand that you need this training if you are to overcome the… - this. It is probably the best way. I rather not go to Cerberus for help on this".

Samara's eyes widened as she turned to Liara, worried. The younger Asari shifted on her feet, gulping. That didn't sound like anything good.

"Liara… you've been Indoctrinated" Shepard softly told her friend.

* * *

Tali was a quarian on a mission. Her target? An elusive Commander who seemed to have walked away from the small makeshift quarian base towards the horizon. It was with a sense of purpose that she strode across the great plains of Rannoch, mesmerized by the desolation that surrounded her. It was with a heavy heart, though, that her eyes sorrowfully took in the state of her beloved planet-world.

Kah'Andei, roughly translated as Golden Fields or The Fields of Golden Grass, had once been the place where many of the original tribes of the quarians faced off in one great battle, or so had Tali been taught. It was in those plains that the quarian tribes united after days of bloodshed, and marked the start of new era for the Quarian people. Kah'Andei had a meaning and purpose, and had thus been chosen as the place where the Quarians would make their first forward base on Rannoch. More importantly, they were supposed to be fertile lands and would be the first target for their colonization efforts.

However, as it was, Tali felt like she had been robbed of the truth, for they were no golden fields to look at or even anything remotely resembling grass. Rather, the darkened eroded stones were bare and cracked. There appeared to be no life on the once prosperous surface. On the contrary, it seemed as death itself inhabited Rannoch now. With the grey havens above, the quarian home-world didn't just look inhospitable… it looked dismal.

Had they fought for this? Why had the Geth been so callous to their beloved home-world? Hadn't they cared about Rannoch too? The answer to that question was, truth to be told, horrible. The Geth, driven by fear, massively accelerated their militarization efforts and numbers in hopes of preparing for a Council response to the Morning War. They had truly believed that the Council would have tried to swiftly deal with them. However, as time passed, their focus went towards the Quarians, now expecting retaliation from their creators. In the process of increasing their numbers and bolstering their defences, they industrialized heavily across Rannoch.

Many people were under the hopeful expectation that the Geth might have been more responsible with the planet than the Quarians. However, as it so happened, the Geth turned out to be far more than just neglectful: they had been outright destructive. Geth, after all, were never that cheap. They required all sorts of metals, some of them rather precious and energy-wasteful in their refinement. Energy was another matter entirely. Instead of wasting space and metals on sun-energy, they simply went back to other sources of power to fuel their industrialization craze. After all, they wanted to develop entire new industries, from the construction of star ships to development of new and better Geth platforms, all of which required extensive resources.

It was no surprise Rannoch now had such incredibly destructive storms, like the one they had fought in. As a matter of fact, it appeared they were rather common now… three hundred years under the control of the Geth, and Rannoch was little better than Tuchanka. It was truly depressing to actually be back, to walk across the surface of their home-world, the once acclaimed hope for her people. Tali was somewhat thankful her father and mother weren't alive to witness such awful sight.

The land of her ancestors, the very birthplace of her people and civilization… Tali stopped walking, her chest swelled with sorrow and grief. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she pondered on that. Even through the exhaustion of battle, she couldn't help staring at the promised land with sadness. Her forefathers had bled and fought for this land… they endured battles, plagues and enemies for the very chance of their descendants to enjoy a better life on Rannoch… and it had all been for nothing…

Tali looked around, taking in the miserable state of her planet, only to spot a peculiar sight further away. As she squinted at it, she gasped. Her eyes widened with surprised and she broke into a hurried stroll over to what looked like a kneeling Shepard. As she got closer, her first assumptions were right: it was him.

"Shepard!" Tali cried out, joyous.

The Commander in question looked up from where he knelt and snapped his head at her. He stood up, at first surprised, only to grin at her. The Quarian sprinted towards him and, with one final leap, hugged Shepard. With tears in her eyes, Shepard embraced her back, spinning around as he laughed. They both were happy about their reunion, exhilarated after the long battle.

"I was so worried!" Tali sniffed as she started crying. She looked at his face. "Keelah…" she softly murmured as a three-digit hand reached out to caress Shepard's scorched injuries. "Why were you so stupid!" She cried out as she buried her face on his chest.

Shepard chuckled, much to Tali's ire.

"Don't you laugh, you bosh'tet!" Tali sobbed, lightly punching the man that tightly held up. "I thought I was going to lose you!"

Shepard's mirth wasn't subdued. If anything, it was increased. He actually broke into an all-out laughter, earning a tearful glare from Tali.

"I'm serious, Shepard!" She grumbled.

"You're so cute when you are protective" Shepard mused.

The Quarian blushed, looking down. "Bosh'tet" she swore. This earned a new round of chuckles from the Commander.

"I'm fine, Tali" he softly told her as they broke their hug.

"Y-you – you are injured and… and you need some rest" Tali mumbled, despondently. "You didn't have to do it, Shepard. You didn't have to face Diniel on your own like that!"

Shepard shook his head with a saddened face and a small smile. "No, Tali, I had to. I doubt anyone else could face Diniel like I did" he replied. He grinned at her "so, you have Rannoch back! Aren't you happy?"

Tali looked at Shepard, somewhat taken aback by how happy he sounded. If she was truthful, he sounded a lot happier than she was. Then again, he was a human. He hadn't gone through the dreams of regaining Rannoch. Tali averted his gaze only to glance at their desolate surroundings.

"This place…" she sighed "it's called -"

"Kah'Andei" Shepard quickly interrupted with a nod. "The Golden Fields, right?"

Tali frowned. "How do you…?" She trailed off, only for her eyes to widen.

"I learned a lot about your history and culture from Shannae's server room" Shepard smugly huffed. "I have to thank the Geth for that".

"Then you probably understand how I feel right now" Tali whispered. "I don't want to sound ungrateful, Shepard. You sacrificed so much… but Rannoch… we thought that- that…" She looked down, her heart riddled with sorrow.

"Hey" Shepard murmured as a hand went under her chin, making their eyes meet. "I have something to show you" he grinned. He stepped back and knelt down, facing the shadow of a particularly large boulder. Shepard glanced at Tali. Noticing she hadn't move, he waved a hand to kneel beside him.

Tali, bewildered, did just that, kneeling next Shepard. The man seemed rather thrilled about something. Curious, Tali studied what he had been examining, only to freeze. Her heart skipped a beat. There, hidden safely behind the boulder, were a small tuft of golden grass… and at its centre, a beautiful pearl-blue flower. She looked at Shepard, who grinned at her.

"Look this" he chuckled, a hand reaching out for the flower.

For a moment, Tali held her breath, fearful that the man would pluck the innocent plant from the ground. Instead, he laid a hand around it, covering it under a new shadow. To her surprise, the flower started glowing in the dark in a breath-taking lilac.

"Do you know how this flower is called?" Shepard asked Tali.

Much to her shame, Tali shook her head. It did come as weird that the Commander now had a greater knowledge on Rannoch and Quarians than the Quarians themselves. Still, she wasn't jealous or disappointed, only saddened by such truth.

"This is the Uhlea, the Dreamer's flower" Shepard chuckled. "Amazing what this little guy achieved, isn't it?"

Tali nodded, dumbfounded. Shepard stood up, offering a hand to the quarian. She studied the flower a bit longer, taking in its beauty, before she accept the hand.

"It's pretty, just like you" Shepard teased, earning a playful smack from a flustered Tali. His hands wrapped around her.

"It's a pity it's the only one we can see" Tali mumbled, downcast.

"That flower, so vulnerable and weak, will be the first of many. It might take time and effort, and things might never return to how they were" Shepard sighed, wearily. "But what matters… is that there's hope. Not everything is lost". He smiled warmly towards Tali, who blushed under his gaze.

"I'm coming with you" Tali declared.

"Hmmm?" Shepard hummed, tilting his head with confusion.

"I'm not staying" She told her. "We need to deal with the Reapers… and my home – it's with you".

"You make it sound as if you had a choice" Shepard chuckled, suggestively wiggling his eyebrows.

"Oh you bosh'tet" Tali muttered, although she couldn't help giggling at the man's good mood. "How can you be so hopeful about everything?"

Shepard looked down at the flower. "Because of things like that" he returned his gaze on Tali "or you. Life is ridden with darkness and horrors… but there also wonderful things worth fighting for. Even if they are just small tiny flowers in a sea of death and desolation, that one thing is enough".

Tali stared at Shepard, who grinned at her. She smiled back, feeling as if his mood was infectious. Slowly, she reached out for her helmet. Shepard's hands shot out and caught them by the sides of her visor, suddenly looking worried.

"Don't worry, Shepard. A little exposure here will not affect me, not with so little life-forms and allergens" Tali soothingly stated.

Reluctantly, Shepard released his hold on her hands, and the visor unclipped. Tali lowered the shaded material, allowing for her face to be fully visible. She graced Shepard with a kind, warm smile, before they leaned towards each other, kissing at long last. They remained there, kissing, and sharing each other's warmth, because they broke apart, only to embrace the other, as if afraid of losing each other.

For what felt like a blissful eternity they remained there, like that. There were no Reapers, no Geth, no Cerberus… nothing to trouble them. However, it could not last. In the end, Tali gently stepped back, holding Shepard's hands.

"Shepard…" she softly said. "I want to have your child".

 **End of Part II**

* * *

 **And so, the last chapter of the Second Part of A Different War. I apologize for any grammar mistakes... I might not have given this chapter enough re-reads out of tiredness.**

 **I hope you liked the fan fiction! Truth to be told, it all started with the simple idea about re-writing ME3 in such a way that made a bit of more sense. While the game is nice enough as it is, there are some... flaws. Cerberus and the Reapers are a bit too cartoon-ish at times, from my point of view, and many things didn't add up. I also had a big gripe with how little influence ME2 actually had in the overall story.**

 **Please, review! I would truly appreciate to read your opinion.**

 **Announcements: I have no idea when I will deliver the Third and final part of the this fanfiction. I might actually what I had first envisioned would be "Amidst a Thousand Dreams" and maybe an extra epilogue, but other than that there are no short-term plans to continue the story.**


End file.
